


Tangled Virility

by Sakuraiai



Series: Tangled [4]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Anxiety, Castiel Has Tentacles, Cravings, Domestic Fluff, M/M, Mpreg, Nesting, Octopus Castiel (Supernatural), Pregnancy, Tentacles, Wolf Dean, mermaid, merman, mild depictions of labour
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-20
Updated: 2017-10-21
Packaged: 2018-12-31 23:28:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 24,241
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12143445
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sakuraiai/pseuds/Sakuraiai
Summary: Happily married and mated, Octopus shifter Castiel and his husband/mate wolf Dean have another obstacle to overcome.Pregnancy.Thank god they had their family to help them.But with problems along the way, and an unplanned surprise, can they finally have their happily ever afters?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, she's back.  
> And she's gonna get all domestic and fluffy in this!
> 
> And though I will try to write this like I did with the others (i,e daily updates), it may not be possible as much. Work has started and I don't have that much time any more.

“You smell sweet,”

It had been almost a whole month since Dean had first said that to Castiel. They had been waking up in their new home after a lovely date night last night. The sun light had been warm as it filtered through the heavy curtains; the bed was so warm and so comfortable as they were wrapped within one another, limbs tangled together.

Husbands in their new home.

Castiel had been so excited to see the new place! He hadn’t expected Dean to have provided a house for him so quickly. But as soon as they stepped out of the airport, back from their long honeymoon to Hawaii – where yes, Dean may have been a little worried and anxious about the whole flying thing, but Castiel made sure to keep his mind elsewhere as much as was possible – after hugging and greeting their family, they had quickly sat in Dean’s car, and drove off down the road.

Castiel had expected them to go to Dean’s apartment. But when Dean had turned the other way on the road and into a dirt path surrounded by thick and heavy copse of trees, he had gotten a little anxious. They reached a meadow area within the thick trees, private from the world, hidden in the forest that surrounded it.

A small slice of domestic heaven in the middle of the bustling city.

The house towered in the preserve, a good two stories of brick and log architecturally placed together to create the beauty before them. Dean parked Baby in the garage next to the house, and ushered Castiel out of the car and to the front of the house, letting the octopus shifter get a good look at their new home.

It was absolutely breath taking.

There was a wood porch with two rocking chairs set to one side, a few wind chimes and a small table adorning it and making it look homely. Dean had told him that he had done everything already, but if Castiel ever wanted to change anything, he could do anything he wanted to it.

Castiel stepped into the house and his eyes filled with unshed tears. This was his and Dean’s house! And it was beautiful. The living room had plump and comfortable looking sofas, a large television and a deep wood coffee table. The entire house had wide windows that would bring in the sunlight, and large, wide spaced rooms. The kitchen was open spaced with a bar at the very centre, and industrial sized cooker and refrigerator. There was an indoor pool at the back of the house, with floor to ceiling windows that showed the beauty of the forest that surrounded the house.

They had quickly fallen into routine, spending their first few months in complete marital bliss. It seemed Dean had been speaking with Garth and Bess about domesticating a house for an octopus shifter. Soon there was an entire room that would be considered a den for Dean’s wolf _and_ Castiel’s octopus traits. However, the pool was purely for Castiel, however, Dean loved sitting in the Jacuzzi at the corner of the pool, watching his mate swimming in maddening circles around the heated water.

Too lost in memory, he barely heard the subtle murmurs of his husband moaning something in his ear.

“Sweet…”

It was that word again.

And Castiel had researched enough about wolves and their sense of smells throughout his pining years in school to know what that meant. The only time a wolf noticed a positive, _sweet,_ change in his mates scent was when there were pups growing in the omega mate.

It had taken an entire month of listening to Dean mumbling under his breath about just how much sweeter Castiel’s scent had gotten. He had started touching Castiel more too, little touches here and there that left a fire in his heart and a queasy feeling in his stomach.

No…the queasy feeling was recent. It only started about two weeks ago. At first Castiel had blamed it on food poisoning. Ever since he had seen the kitchen, he had been adamant to cooking for his mate – in his marital bliss he had quickly forgotten that he wasn’t very good at cooking anything complex, and they could only life off Pb&j sandwiches for so long.

There had also been certain scents that were setting him off. Like when Dean would make his famous burgers, though Castiel would devour the burgers as soon as it hit his plate, the scent of raw meat as it was being cooked always made Castiel dash to the nearest bathroom to throw up in.

He wanted to deny it. After all, though they had been talking about having children, it was all too soon. Wasn’t it?

They had only just gotten married. Castiel was just getting into grips about being a teacher in the local school, and Dean was starting his own mechanics shop in the city.

They were busy…too busy to be thinking about bringing a child into the world. Right?

But he knew the truth.

It was why he had gathered up all of his courage and, after his school day had finally finished and he was making his way to his beautiful home, with two hours until Dean returned back home too, Castiel had stopped at the chemist. He was intent to nip this in the bud and buy a pregnancy test. This way, he could be certain if he were pregnant or not.

Making his way back home in his ‘pimp mobile’ as Dean had called it, a bag on the passengers’ seat which held four pregnancy test boxes – because you could never be too sure about things like this.

Entering his house, he had made his way straight to the bathroom. This was why he was now currently sitting in the middle of the ensuite bathroom, slumped on the ground, holding onto eight pregnancy tests in his hands and limbs.

Each and every single one of them had a little strip of light blue on it, shining proudly.

Positive.

He was pregnant!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just in case you haven't already seen/read it, the honeymoon has been posted (before this fic in the series, aptly named Tangled Honeymoon). Check it out if you're interested!
> 
> Now on with the fic.  
> What does Dean think of Cas being pregnant?

Dean parked Baby in the garage of his and Castiel’s home.

Taking in a deep breath, he scented his mate inside the house. Seeking his heartbeat, he could tell Castiel was deep in the house somewhere. He frowned when he saw all of the lights to the downstairs were off, Castiel usually left the stairs light on when he went upstairs – it was something he’d always done. Or the underwater lights to the pool room were on which always left a healthy, ethereal glow throughout the whole house.

Yet it was completely dark.

Worried, Dean made his way up to the front door and unlocked it. Pushing it open, he peered into the darkness. Castiel didn’t _smell_ worried, but his heart was beating erratically.

“Cas?” He called out into the dark, but heard no reply.

Maybe Cas was…his heart thudded at the thought of Cas, on the bed, panting as he tried to get himself off, slick and ink staining the sheets, breathlessly gasping Dean’s name to the air, waiting for him to come home.

Nah, Cas wasn’t _that_ kind of a shifter. He wouldn’t be masturbating, not when he knew Dean was coming home. But…maybe he was waiting for Dean? Maybe he was…getting himself ready?

Dean shook his head at his thoughts. It was stupid to think that. Cas was a beautiful, innocent man. And though Dean wished for the latter – who wouldn’t when someone as beautiful as Cas was his husband - he knew that probably wasn’t a possibility.

But he was still excited to see his husband.

…husband…

To think, it had only been two months since they had been married, and though they still had that ‘newly married’ smell, it was so lovely to wake up to his husband sleeping next to him, getting ready together, eating breakfast and giving each other good bye kisses before they both left for work.

Dean couldn’t get enough, and he was never going to tire of his husband,

He slowly made his way through the house, hoping he could locate Castiel almost immediately. He heard something moving in the bathroom in their room, thick tentacles slithering over tentacles. And he knew that was where Cas was.

“Cas?” He called out Cas’s name again, and once again, he didn’t get a reply. However, Cas seemed to have moved once again.  Walking along the hallway, he pushed open the door to their bedroom. He saw the bedroom was still a little rumpled from when they had woken up that morning, the sheets pulled back and the pillows pressed together. Even their clothing from that morning – or was it from the night before – was strewn on the ground.

However, there was no Cas.

Dean picked up a few items of clothing as he passed, throwing them on the nearby chair. He saw the bathroom door was slightly ajar, and the light was on. Knocking on the door, he pushed it open and peered inside. He saw Cas, sitting on the ground, tentacles splayed out, each holding onto a white stick, while his arms were wrapped around his stomach.

Shit, did he still have food poisoning?

“Cas?” He said again, a little louder this time. “Hey, babe, you okay?”

Cas looked up, as if just noticing Dean had entered. He held his tentacles up, showing Dean the sticks with the blue strips across the top.

Wait…was that a…pregnancy test?

“Cas?”

Tears dripped down Castiel’s eyes, trailing down his cheeks, to the corners of his smiling mouth. He held the white sticks up even higher, as if that was the answer to life itself.

He murmured through a sob; “I’m pregnant,”

Dean’s eyes widened. He felt his blood pound through his body, faster and faster until his legs felt weak. He dropped down to the ground, on his knees, and took in hot, heavy breaths. He couldn’t have heard that right. Cas was…pregnant?

“What?”

Cas’s tentacles dropped a little, his eyes widened in worry. “I’m…pregnant?” he seemed vehement and hesitant as he spoke, as if he was worried about what Dean was going to think.

“You…are?” Dean asked, his voice barely above a whisper, as if he didn’t want to break the magical moment they had just created.

His wolf was bounding inside him, yipping and bouncing in pure, unadulterated happiness. Joy that he just couldn’t keep inside! His mate was pregnant!

But he had to reassure Castiel first. So he crawled over to his fallen husband, taking hold of his tentacles and pulling him close. He lifted Cas onto his lap and wrapped his arms around the octopus shifter. He felt those perfect tentacles of his wrap around his body.

“You’re pregnant,” Dean murmured into his hair, holding onto his mate so tight he thought he’d burst. “We’re gonna be dads?”

Castiel nodded, the tears returning to the corner of his eyes. Dean leaned in close, pressing his lips to Cas’s wet ones, kissing him with all of the happy emotions that were thrumming through his body. Castiel sobbed into his mouth, his shoulders shaking as he gripped tighter and tighter onto Dean. His nervous scent was replaced with happiness, with relief, as if he had been worried about what Dean would think. Dean was on cloud nine, he was so happy he could scream, he wanted to tell the whole world that his _beautiful mate was pregnant!_

Holding onto his husband, the carrier of their baby – he wasn’t sure if Cas would like to be called mother, but they’d get to that. He pressed kisses all over his face, making sure Castiel knew _exactly_ how happy he was.

“Baby. A baby!” Dean murmured, littering kisses over Cas’s eyes, nose, cheeks and lips.

Castiel chuckled. “Yes Dean, a baby!”

Oh…god, they’d have to buy all sorts of things for the baby. Maybe they’d turn one of the bedrooms into a nice neutral nursery, and hopefully if it was an octopus shifter – which Dean was really holding his hopes for, he really wanted to feel the thrill and awe of having _his child’s_ small tentacles wrapped around his arm as he held the little thing for the first time – they’d have to figure out how what they’d need to keep the little thing happy and healthy.

They’d have to speak with Bess and Garth, because he was not going to fuck this up. He wanted everything to be perfect.

His husband was pregnant. And Dean was going to be a father!

He lifted his mate up in his arms, feeling Castiel drop the pregnancy tests onto the tiles of the bathroom. Dean led the octopus shifter to the bed, laying him down on the messy plush and proceeded to show just how happy he was.

It was hours later, stained with ink and slick and cum, that Dean reached over to his mate one again, pressing his hand over Castiel’s flat stomach, trying to imagine what it would be like when his husband was really showing. Castiel laid his head on Dean’s chest, basking in the warmth.

“I love you,” Dean murmured, pressing his lips to Cas’s damp hair, fingers pressed heavy and hot on his stomach.

Castiel sighed blissfully. “I love you too,”


	3. Chapter 3

_“What to expect when you're expecting,”_

Dean stared at the pretty shifter on the magazine cover of ‘Omega Weekly’; he had been standing in the supermarket checkout line when he had spotted it out of the corner of his eye. He zoned onto it, reaching out and picking it up as the cashier tilled the groceries of the person in front of him. Glancing at the amount of food stuffs the shifter in front of him had, Dean knew it was going to be a while.

He quickly skimmed through the glossy pages until he reached the page itself. Inside was a week by week chart of ‘what to expect when you were expecting’. He wasn’t sure where Cas was in this stage, but thankfully the magazine went through each of the basic nine months in easy to take weeks.

Skimming through the bullet points, he noticed a few things here and there, such as Cas needing to eat fruit and vegetables and how far along the baby would be – however this was to an ‘average’ shifter, like a canine, feline, avian or marine shifter, and though Cas _was_ a marine shifter, he was anything but ‘average’.

Continuing to read the magazine, he noticed it said that Cas would probably be experiencing cramps and many other uncomfortable moments. Well, Dean already knew that, Cas had been complaining about stomach problems for a while now. They had initially thought it was food poisoning.

Neither of them had expected Cas to get pregnant so quickly. Sure they hadn’t used condoms or any safety precautions – they were trying after all – but it was quicker than they had anticipated. Not that Dean minded, he was still so happy.

However, when he thought of the financial complications behind having a baby, bringing it into the world and nurturing it, he was getting cold feet. He had spent so much of their money to create and open his own garage – and even though everyone around him had been happy and willing to help where they could, this was Dean’s dream, and he had spent it all.

Fuck, what was he going to do?

Focus on the baby. That was what. The garage was up and running, he’d be making money in no time. He had a great follow on clientele from working with Crowley’s mechanics on the other side of town. Having a garage here in the east side would rake in a lot of customers. There had been so many clients Dean had seen to who had said they had to drive so far to get to them. That and he had gone out to do far too many road side calls around this part of town. It was one of the reasons he had picked to open up on the east side.

He had, surprisingly, gotten help from Crowley too. They were working together to help the entire city. And Dean was glad, because Crowley had been around for decades, people knew and trusted him. He was still relatively new.

Cas was rich.

Well, Cas’s family was rich. His father owned a tech company and he basically controlled the entire city – if not the world. Though Chuck had said countless of times that he was there, he was more than willing to help out if they needed it, it was a sense of pride for Dean. _He_ wanted to provide for his mate, not ask on his father in law for help with his tail between his legs.

The alpha Lotan understood Dean’s thoughts and needs – all alphas with mates were like that. But he had stated simply to Dean that he was here. And Dean had been thankful.

The magazine said that at week four, Castiel would feel pregnant enough to take a test, so that must meant that Cas was a month in – if not more – to his pregnancy. Huh…

He was about to read about the second month, but the cashier cleared her throat, breaking him out of his thoughts. Looking down, he saw she had already rung everything of his up, and the packer had packed everything up for him.

The cashier motioned to the magazine he was reading. “Sir, are you going to purchase that too?”

Dean nodded and placed it down on the conveyor belt. She rung it through and Dean paid. Taking the bags, he nodded his thanks and left the store. Placing the things in the boot of his Baby, he saw the magazine sitting at the very top of one of the bags. Still curious, he reached for it and brought it with him to the front of the car.

He still had half an hour until he picked up Cas from work – he had finished work early that day – so he drove all the way to Cas’s work and parked right outside the empty streets.

He reached for the magazine and flipped through the pages until he found the article again. It was definitely an interesting read. Looking at month two, his heart beat madly in his chest.

He’d be able to hear his baby’s heartbeat soon? At least that was what it was saying. God, he hoped it was soon, _god damn_ did he hope it was soon. He did a quick skim of the rest of the months and was so the eager to see his mate. They had last been together that morning, pressing kisses among kisses wherever they could reach, because _Cas was pregnant!_ And the wolf inside Dean wanted to wrap his mate in his arms and keep him safe and warm and protected until they had their baby in his arms.

The car door opened and Castiel’s slithering tentacles appeared before his mate sat down, placing his bag on his lap. Dean jumped a little, having been startled at his mates’ entrance. Just how long had he been reading the magazine?

“Hello Dean,” Castiel leaned in close.

“Hey babe,” Dean smiled, pressing a kiss to his lips. Pulling back he rolled the magazine in his hands and placed it on the side door.

“What were you reading?” Cas asked, peering over Dean’s shoulder to the rolled up magazine. “Is that Omega Weekly?”

Dean sheepishly pulled it out and flipped it through the page he had been reading. Castiel’s eyes widened as he saw the title of the page.

Castiel’s fingers crinkled the pages, gripping it tight to his chest. He looked up at his mate, his eyes shining with unshed tears. “How can you be so perfect?”

“I wanted to be prepared,” Dean shrugged, cheeks bursting a bright pink.

Castiel leaned in close and crushed a kiss to his lips, teeth clacking in his desperation as he deepened it. His tentacles reached out to wrap tightly around wherever he could reach on Dean. The wolf sucked in his sweet scent, breaking the kiss and pressing their foreheads together.

That was when Dean heard it, the light, barely there sound that was like a sweetest music to ears.

_Thud, thud-thud, thud…thud, thud-thud, thud…_

…wait…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...(*whistles*)...what? it's happening.


	4. Chapter 4

Michael let out a proud breath through his nose and turned to the tentative knock on his office door.

He had been waiting for Castiel and his mate Dean to come visit him for a very long while now. He had had a vision about a month back, of Castiel being with child – though his visions never really told him the time and date, or anything other than snippets and extracts of moments and flashes of times spent together (or apart in some cases), or something that came to him in an almost prophetic déjà vu, something that would happen in the near future.

Which was always just so annoying to him, because what good was a vision if he couldn’t actually do anything about it?

He had been waiting for Castiel’s call for weeks now. He had saved a time slot every evening when he had thought both Castiel and Dean would most likely be available. And it was only when Castiel called him last night that he had taken the slot he always saved and booked it for them to meet him.

For a baby scan!

He had been so excited. Because he remembered Adam’s first scan and the complete and utter thrill he had felt when he had first saw his son on the sonogram. Of the ecstatic soothing calm that came over him when he had first heard that strong heart beating inside his beautiful mate. It had been a magical and fantastical moment, and he couldn’t wait for his baby brother to witness and be a part of that.

He opened the door and saw Castiel and his mate standing on the other side, Dean looked a little worse for wear – from utter joy and nervousness he saw. Michael remembered that feeling.

“Hello Michael,” Castiel said with a nervous smile.

Dean stepped in with him, holding a hand spread over Castiel’s shirt clad stomach. _Such an alpha thing to do…_ Michael mused.

“Castiel, Dean,” Michael ushered the two into the room and onto the soft seats. “What can I help you with?”

Castiel settled down on the chair by the desk, the same way he had done all those months ago when Michael had given him the book about octopus shifters. Except this time, Dean’s hulking figure was right next to him, throwing off protective and dominating pheromones. He didn’t need to, the very look on Dean’s face, the darkness in his eyes and the feral stench that came off him was enough to ward even the toughest of shifters away from Castiel.

Michael had to hand it to the wolf. He knew Dean would be able to look after his baby brother. He had no worries about that, especially not now.

Castiel held his hands to his stomach, his tentacles slithering around Dean’s calf, holding him close – like he always did, Michael had noticed. Though Michael had already known just why Castiel was here, he wanted to hear the shifter say it.

“I think I’m pregnant,” Castiel murmured, the corners of his lips tilting upwards with happiness.

“We heard an odd heart beat though,” Dean answered, his ears perking up as if he could still hear the maddeningly perfect _thud, thud-thud, thud_ sound.

Michael nodded. He already knew what Dean was hearing, he had seen it in his vision. He wheeled his seat over to the two until he was settled right in front of Castiel. He held his hand out and pressed it lightly to the octopus shifters stomach and closed his eyes. He could feel the heart beating and a smile widened on his lips.

_They didn’t know!_

Though he wanted to tell them the secret that had been solidified before him, _desperately so_. But he was going to tease them, make them wait and let them see for themselves. The cards were in his hand, and he remembered the feeling of finding out, of seeing for himself. He wanted them to feel the same way. So he just ‘hmm-ed’ and nodded knowingly. He could scent the worry and tension in Dean at the nonchalant way he was acting. It was quite funny.

Though he wanted to prolong the teasing, but he wasn’t that mean (god, Adam and Matthew really had done a number on him) he thought it best to diffuse the tension.

“Why don’t you get on the bed, and I’ll _show_ you what I see,”

Castiel nodded, following Michael as the man motioned him to the bed on the side wall. Surprisingly, or unsurprisingly, since Michael was a Lotan shifter had already managed to wheel a sonogram machine into the room and hid it behind the curtains around the bed.

Dean came next to Castiel, taking his hand and gripping it tight. Michael lifted Castiel’s shirt and squirted a jelly like substance onto the octopus shifters stomach. Castiel shivered at the cold feeling. But Dean held his hand tighter, anticipating what was to come.

“Isn’t it too early?” Castiel asked, looking down to his slightly protruding belly. Sure he was pregnant, but the baby inside would be as small as a seed right now. It’d be almost impossible to see the little hatchling.

“You heard the heartbeats?” Michael asked, turning to Dean as he prepped he machine. Dean nodded. “The baby doesn’t have a heart beat until at least six weeks into the pregnancy or further,”

Castiel’s eyes widened. “Six weeks?”

“Or further,” Michael repeated. “Let’s just see how far,”

He placed the sonogram onto Castiel’s stomach and flipped the small screen on. A few moments of heated anticipation passed before there was an odd image of red and orange pulsing on the screen. Michael moved the machine to the side and the heavy, thudding sound of a heart beat played on the screen.

Dean’s fingers tightened on Castiel’s hands, his ears pricked up at the sound of the deep thud…thud…thud…of a heart beating inside his mate’s stomach. Dean looked up immediately, staring intently at the screen. There was a dark splodge of red and a round pale splodge in the middle, near to the edge. And Dean knew that was it. That was his baby!

Oh god, he called his baby a splodge!

That was their _baby!_ The beautiful being created of their love, their mating, their marriage. And the sound of that heart beating inside his mates’ stomach was by far the most wondrous sound he had ever heard. He closed his eyes and let the sound wash over him, letting it envelope him and leave him breathless.

He knew Castiel was feeling exactly the same, because his gorgeous blue eyes were wide open, tears streaming from their corners and onto the pillows below.

“I’d say it’s about seven or eight weeks old,” Michael said, looking up at the screen, pressing the plastic deeper onto his stomach, the sound getting slightly louder. Then he moved it to the other side of Castiel’s stomach and gave Dean a heart attack.

_Another…heartbeat?_

Michael smirked knowingly, watching the two as they listened intently to the two separate hearts beating inside his baby brother.

“Twins,”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yup, that was the plan.
> 
> Now, I'm looking for names...


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soo...my laptop lost all of this, including the next chapter (which made me cry) so sorry for missing yesterday.  
> We're getting there though.
> 
> Craving time!

_Twins…_

They were going to have twins!

Dean hadn’t stopped touching Cas, or just staring at him, ever since Michael had shown them the two beautiful buns in Cas’s oven. And honestly, he really didn’t want to stop.

It had been too early to know what species the two were, or what gender they were either, but Dean didn’t care. Though he was anxious to have one be an octopus shifter, he was happy either way.

They had made their way out of Michael’s office, after Castiel’s check-up, which showed the baby and the mother was happy and healthy and growing well. They got into Baby. Dean’s hands gripped Castiel’s top most tentacles, squeezing them for reassurance and happiness. Cas was looking tired ever since they had gotten to the doctors’ office, and he was really showing it now. Dean was anxious to get them both back home, so Cas could rest.

The quiet hum of the cars’ engine and the sound of the tyres eating up the tarmac was a soothing sound. But Dean’s body was vibrating with excitement. Turning, he saw Cas’s head lolling back onto the plush of the bench seat, but there was a smile on his pretty face.

They hadn’t told anyone about Cas being pregnant. They wanted to keep the joy of the secret to themselves for a few days. That and they wanted to make sure that they were sure the baby – or in their case now, _babies –_ were happy and healthy.

But now that he knew they were having twins, it was getting that much harder for Dean to keep it all inside. He wanted to shout it out to the entire world. His beautiful, gorgeous, perfect mate was pregnant with twins!

Castiel’s fingers pressed along his, squeezing them. “Call your parents,”

It was like he was able to read Dean’s thoughts. Well, taking into consideration his skills, it may have been likely Cas was able to read his emotions enough to know he was so very thrilled.

“But first,” Cas said shyly, holding his hands to the slight pudgy part of his stomach. That was where their babies were! “Can we stop somewhere and get something to eat?”

Dean nodded, happy to help out as much as he could. “What are you in the mood for?”

“I want a melted cheese and jam sandwich,” Castiel said staring out of the window for a slight second, giving the trees that passed a faraway look, and Dean knew he was trying to read himself. “…with pickles,”

Dean paused, trying not to grimace at the choice of food Cas was asking for. He wasn’t even sure normal food places sold things like that. Why was Cas asking for— _oh!_ Cas was having cravings. He was trying to feed the babies what they wanted.

The wolf’s grimace turned giddy and he smiled. The thought of his babies hungry was making him oddly so happy. With every weird craving came the thought of those babies being healthy and eager for sustenance.

Of course the choice of food was still…Dean shivered.

But with a nod, Dean turned his Baby to the nearest restaurant. He had heard from Sam and Gabriel about this place, it catered to every single kind of demand pregnant shifters may have had. And thankfully it was a drive thru. Turning to Cas, he saw the octopus shifter hide a yawn behind his hand and he knew the drive thru was the best option. He wanted his mate fed and back home resting.

They drove up to the line at the drive thru and waited for their turn. The soft sound of music playing on the cassette player was a solace from the comfortable silence they had fallen in. They were both still shocked and happy with the thought of twins. So much so that they just let themselves bask in their future as parents.

They got to the window and Dean ordered three meals of Cas’s choice, and a burger for himself. He wasn’t sure just how much food Cas could eat, he remembered when he was little, and his mother had Sam. She had been ravenous when it came to food. Almost annihilating whatever weird concoction she had created on her plate. But Dean was sure Cas would probably be the same.

He had known a lot of other pregnant shifters in his pack too, and they all had similar habits, however there were many who were completely different.

Though none of them were _octopus shifters,_ Dean wasn’t quite sure if being such a rare species would change anything. But he was going to be prepared for everything.

“And a banana milkshake,” Cas added, when the cashier asked. Dean suddenly felt a sick feeling in his stomach. The thought of cheese and jam sandwiches being washed down with the sickeningly sweet milkshake.

_Oh god…_

But whatever Cas wanted, Cas got.

So it was added to the order. Dean paid and a while later their food was given to them. Looking to his mate, Dean saw Cas was slowly falling asleep on the chair. Handing Cas the food, he manoeuvred them out of the drive thru, and found a parking spot and parked Baby.

Cas almost ripped through the bag in his haste to eat. And Dean watched, with morbid interest, as the odd concoction of a sandwich was brought out. The smell was awful to Dean’s nose, but Cas didn’t seem to mind. He bit into the sandwich and let out a blissful moan. Dean watched, trying not to bring up the food he had had that morning, as he witnessed the cheese and jam mixture in the toasted bread. There were thick cuts of pickle to add to the weird order.

But Cas looked like he was enjoying himself.

Biting into his own burger, Dean took that moment to think about their future. Sure Cas was pregnant now, there must have been something he, as an octopus shifter, needed that was different to other shifters.

Sam had created a little soft rock nest for Gabriel and Melody, right by their small swimming pool.

As soon as they got home, and Cas had been fed and was resting with their pups – or hatchlings, he wasn’t picky – happy and sated. He’d get in touch with Garth and Bess. He remembered the overhanging den in the Fitzgerald’s home, though he knew the soft pillows inside the den was most likely for the wolf cubs, he still needed to know everything he could about the tentacle shifters.

His thoughts ran to the book Garth had given him all those months back, he hadn’t had a chance to look into it, but he hoped it was able to help.

His thoughts were broken by Cas letting out a cute little burp. God, he was so adorable sometimes. He scrunched the empty wrapper in his hands and put it back in the paper bag their food came in.

“Can we go home now?” Cas asked, slurping up the last dregs of his banana milkshake.

Dean took the empty food wrappers and smirked. “Sure thing, momma,” He paused as soon as he said it though. He hadn’t expected that to just slip out. He wasn’t sure if Cas would adhere to the endearment.

Turning, he expected to see anger and frustration in his mate’s gaze, but instead he saw a large smile on his mate’s lips, and his eyes were shining so brightly with unshed tears. His tentacles tightened around Dean’s leg, his hands resting on his pudgy stomach.

“I’m a mother,” he breathed, holding his tears back.

Dean let out a breath. He was glad Cas was okay with the slip up. He reached his hand out and slipped his fingers between Cas’s ones on his stomach. Running soothing circles over his mate’s skin, he pressed a kiss into Cas’s hair.

“I love you,” Dean murmured, letting the _oh-so-sweet_ scent of his mate fill his nose.

“I love you too,” Cas’s smile was watery as he looked up. “Daddy,”

…Daddy…

Dean felt a giddy heat rush through him. He was going to be a daddy!


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, its been a few days...  
> Work is slowly taking over, but I'm getting off shift work and to normal daily work, so I'll be able to schedule my writing like it was before.  
> Wooohooo!

Excitement thrummed through Castiel as he picked up his phone, finding his fathers’ number and clicking on call. Though he and Dean had been adamant on not telling anyone so quickly – not that it mattered. But they had made a deal, they would tell everyone together.

That was why they were going to call everyone to their home, have a nice dinner and tell their entire family the good news. Dean was currently getting in touch with his parents, while Castiel called his father. They had told Michael not to tell anyone, so other than probably Adam knowing; it would be a surprise for everyone.

The phone rang and soon Chuck’s voice came through the receiver. “Hey Castiel,”

“Father,” Castiel tried to stay calm, but he just couldn’t help the giddy feeling rushing through him. He was so eager to just blurt it all out, but it would be so much better and much sweeter if everyone was able to share the good news. “Are you free tonight?”

“Is everything okay?” Chuck asked.

Castiel knew his Lotan father was pretty much omnipotent to everything. However, he was sure he was keeping himself as secretive as possible.

“Everything is fine, father,” Castiel said, trying to sound nonchalant. “I thought it would be nice for everyone to get together here and have a nice family dinner,”

Chuck seemed worried, Castiel could tell. But he agreed and they set a time for tonight, when he knew everyone would be free.

With a quick goodbye – because Castiel knew if he continued talking to his father, he would blurt out the good news. He placed the phone on the table and smiled so brightly.

Dean settled next to him, placing his phone next to Castiel’s. “My parents are free,”

“So is my father,”

“Great,” Dean said, leaning back on the chair. “Who wants to tell Sammy and Gabe?”

Castiel held a finger to his mouth, deep in thought. Gabriel was on his thirty ninth week with little Melody, so it was only a matter of time before the little mermaid was swimming happily in the world. However, because of that, they were unsure whether it would be possible for Gabriel to come. He and Sam had been quite homely ever since Gabriel hit his final trimester. Gabriel had taken time off his work, and Sam had spent as much time as he could at home, making sure to be there for his mates every whim.

“It won’t hurt to ask,” Castiel said, shrugging his shoulders. They were still unsure if Gabriel would come, Melody was too close to being born, and they didn’t want to risk it.

However, after talking to the merman, it seemed Gabriel was ready and willing to get out of the house and actually see people. Though he understood the protectiveness Sam had over their little Melody, it was getting long and tiring very quickly. And Gabriel wasn’t really showing any signs of having her just yet.

“Alright, that’s all sorted,” Dean said, taking hold of Castiel’s hand and moving them both to the sofas. Castiel melted into Dean’s embrace, feeling his mate’s arms wrap protectively around him, hand spread on his stomach, around their babies.

Dean rested his chin on the top of Castiel’s head, breathing in his sweet scent and let out a sigh. This was the life…

“What are we going to make them?” Castiel asked, his tentacles swaying this way and that as they slowly wrapped around Dean’s body.

Dean chuckled, so lost in their bliss and excitement at inviting everybody, they forgot one vital thing. The food.

 

~~

 

The clock struck eight pm, and Chuck was the first to arrive into their home. He handed Dean a bottle of wine, and sauntered into the house, getting a good look and feel of it. He had been here before, but back then it had been a quick in and out when Dean bought the place. There hadn’t been much in taking the interior in and actually seeing it with they both lived in it.

“Place looks good,” Chuck said, shrugging off his coat. Dean took the coat and hung it on the hook, ushering him deeper into the house.

“Thanks, we worked quite hard on it,” He said, giving Chuck a quick tour of the downstairs.

Chuck noticed the empty room at the back of the house, right by the closed off swimming pool area, it was completely empty, and there were blankets and thick cloths thrown over whatever furniture was still inside.

Dean smirked hesitantly, and closed the door. He and Cas had been trying to figure out a good nursery and play area for their hatchlings – or pups – and they had chosen this particular room as the downstairs playroom because it was closest to the pool area – if the baby was a hatchling – and closest to the main den – if the baby was a pup. They had decided to go with a neutral pastel green for the walls, and so far the paint was only half done.

“It shows,” Chuck said, his eyes darkening with his Lotan skills. He held back on his thoughts however, because he knew they wouldn’t hide something this big from him. Maybe that was what this dinner with the family was about.

The doorbell rang once again, and he heard Castiel go to open the door. The familiar sound of Sam and Gabriel came through the house and Chuck and Dean made their way over to the living room.

Gabriel was huge, his stomach bloated up in his pregnancy, his body was a little sore and he waddled as he walked, but his eyes were still intense, he could still beat the crap out of anyone who came in his or his mates and child’s way.

No one messed with a pregnant alpha after all. They were rare. But they were vicious. Castiel helped Gabriel to the sofa, placing pillows and cushions around him to keep him comfortable. Gabriel thanked him, and Sam rushed over to him, holding onto his hand and twining their fingers together.

“Damn Gabe, did you swallow a damn planet?” Dean said from the hallway. Gabriel rolled his eyes, knowing Dean was saying it in jest. “How’re you feeling?”

“Melody is being fussy,” Gabriel replied, holding a hand to his round stomach. “She’s kicking up a storm, but showing no signs of leaving me,”

“Who’d want to…?” Sam murmured to himself, his cheeks tinged red.

The doorbell rang for the final time that night, and Dean rushed to open it. He saw John and Mary, holding a bottle of wine and a homemade pie, in their hands. With a wide smile at the dessert, Dean took the pie and motioned them into the house.

Once the greetings were done, and they had all piled onto the table to eat the quick feast Castiel and Dean had made for that evening. Sam helped Dean put all of the empty plates and cutlery into the dishwasher and motioned for everyone to sit back on the table.

“Guys, we have an announcement we’d like to make,” Dean said, reaching for Castiel, who was sitting next to him. Castiel wrapped a tentacle around his leg, looking up at his smiling face.

“What is it dear?” Mary asked, clearly intrigued as the rest of them were.

Castiel’s cheeks burst a little red, and his smile only widened. “We’re pregnant,” he said, wrapping his hands around his slightly pudged up stomach.

 “With twins,” Dean added, reaching for his mate and pressing a kiss into his hair.

The room erupted with happiness and cheer. John clapped Dean on his back, Mary gave Castiel a hug, and Chuck did too, after wiping a tear from his eyes. Sam barrel rolled into his brother’s embrace, giving him congrats.

But it was Gabriel who surprised them all. He clapped merrily, reaching up to hug Castiel, congratulating him. Castiel squeezed him in a hug, tentacles wrapping around his brother, years stinging his eyes.

But then Gabriel yelped, his mouth a wide ‘oh’.

Castiel, worried for his brother’s sake, quickly retracted his arms and limbs from around the mermaid. And looked down to see Gabriel had transformed his legs to a slick tail. In fact the tail was just a little _too slick._

Sam had scented the room and rushed over to his mates’ side. “Gabriel…” he breathed.

"I'm sorry to burst your bubble Cassie," Gabriel said with a grimace, clenching Sam's fingers. “But I think my water just broke,”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gabriel really has bad timing...  
> ...but yay! Melody Novak-Winchester is coming!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning!  
> Blood, labour and well...you know.

The bellowing sounds of Gabriel screams were lodged deep into Castiel’s mind. The merman had always been so happy and healthy, so frustratingly _smiley_ all the time. But seeing him like that, grasping onto his bloated stomach, screaming so loud, as his slick tail stilled, flicking tip curling in his pain and ache.

Castiel’s tentacles quivered under him as he fidgeted on the plush and metal seat he was sitting on. His fingers grasped at Dean’s hand, his breathing heavy, as the wolf pulled him back on to the chair in the waiting room of the hospital.

They hadn’t expected Gabriel going into labour. He hadn’t shown any signs of it. And Castiel blamed himself, maybe he squeezed too tight, or maybe his tentacles weren’t good for the baby, oh god, what if something happened to little Melody? He loved her so much already, if anything happened—

“ _Cas!_ ”

He was forced out of his negative thoughts by his mate shaking him by his shoulders. Castiel looked into Dean’s beautiful green eyes and let out a watery sob. Dean held him close, pressing his ear to his chest. Castiel let the steady thudding of Dean’s heart beating against his ear and let out a deep breath he hadn’t known he had been holding.

“Didn’t think we’d be here so quickly, eh?” Dean murmured, running his fingers through Castiel’s unruly hair.

Castiel wasn’t sure how Dean was so calm. _Why_ was he so calm? Castiel was so worried; he pressed a hand around his stomach, hoping his constant worrying wasn’t hurting his babies. But he just couldn’t help it. Gabriel…there was something wrong...oh god, why was he screaming so much?

Chuck was on him in an instant. He held onto Castiel’s hands, kneeling down onto the ground before him.

“Deep breaths, Castiel,” He said, his voice low, but his eyes turning a fantastically bright white in his skills. “You’re channelling Sam’s worry,”

He was _what?_

“Deep breaths,” Chuck repeated, running his fingers soothingly over Castiel’s wrists, pressing onto his pulse.

Castiel nodded, his tentacles stilling from their shivering as he copied his father and took deep, measured breaths. He hadn’t thought his powers would be able to project what others were thinking, or feeling. Sure he knew he could feel others, and he could hear Dean’s thoughts sometimes – if he focused on it. But he hadn’t expected anything like that.

“It’s alright,” Chuck said to Dean, nodding reassuringly. “Michael was the same,”

 _Michael_ was the _same?_

But Michael was so put together, so perfect with his powers, so skilful. It was impossible to think anything else of him other than him being so strong and powerful and perfect in his work and life.

As if hearing his name, Michael came through the double doors. He strutted to the waiting room, his white coat billowing behind him.

“Where is Gabriel?” He asked, stopping before them. He saw Dean and Castiel sitting on the seat, Mary and John had settled opposite them, holding onto one another as they waiting to hear more information. His father was on the ground before Castiel, holding onto his hands, soothing him.

Dean pointed to the double doors leading to the labour ward, to where another muffled scream erupted from Gabriel’s lips. A nurse came out, holding bloodied towels in her hands. At the sight of the blood, Michael made his way straight to her.

“What is happening?” He growled, his eyes darkening in his worry. “How are my brother and my niece?”

The nurse looked up to him, her skin paling at the sheer electricity coming off him. She held the blood soaked towels to her body and shivered.

“Dr. Novak, the baby…is not in position,” she gulped in a breath, “We are performing a caesarean,”

“Who’s on call?”

“Dr. Mosely,” She replied. And with that, she shuddered, looking up into his dark eyes and scurried off, towels in hand.

Castiel stood suddenly, reaching out to Michael. But the Lotan shifter gave him a reassuring look. “Gabriel will be fine; Dr. Mosely is the best,”

Castiel let out a breath and settled back onto his seat. He hadn’t expected being able to read _Sam’s_ thoughts. He was grateful it hadn’t been Gabriel’s; otherwise he wasn’t sure just what he would be doing. He held a hand to his stomach, wishing he had the power to hear his babies’ hearts beating. But other than the soft feeling of _something_ there, like something sitting in the back of his mind, not ready to make itself known, he was just going to have to wait.

They waited.

And waited.

And waited some more.

Hours passed so slowly, looking up at the clock, it seemed to be going backwards in some occasions, though Castiel knew that wasn’t possible. He listened to his father and breathed deeply, trying to block out the sheer worry and frustration coming from Sam. He knew Sam wished it was him on the gurney, that he was rueing the fact that he was a male omega wolf, unable to carry and procreate. He hated having his alpha go through something like this.

But hours soon turned into moments and the doors leading to the labour ward were swung open. Sam appeared through them, blood on his apron like shirt, hair mussed and yanked at, skin pale and eyes bloodshot from his tears. But he had the brightest and most wondrous smile on his face.

“Melody Novak-Winchester,” He said breathlessly, holding his hands out before him, clenching his fingers. “Healthy little six pound two ounces merbaby,”

Dean stood from his seat, rounding around the others and pulled his baby brother into a hug. He didn’t care if he got blood on himself; his baby brother had a daughter!

“And Gabriel?” Castiel asked, following the others as they congratulated Sam. He had seen the blood on Sam’s shirt, on his hands, and he was worried for his brother.

Sam’s smile broke wider than ever. “It was touch and go for a while, but Gabriel is doing great,”

Castiel, urgent to see his brother and make sure for himself, felt the relief flooding through Sam and he knew Gabriel was just fine. A little tired, but fine. He wrapped his arms around Sam when he was free, tightening his grip and congratulating the omega wolf on his daughter.

His niece!

“I should go back,” Sam said, fidgeting on his feet.

John clapped him on his back and motioned him back through the doors. He knew exactly what this feeling was; he had felt the same way when they had the boys. The need to be with his mate, and his new baby.

 

~~

 

Sam pushed the door open and saw his mate, his _beautiful, gorgeous mate,_ laying on the bed. There was a lot of blood everywhere, staining the sheets, and a freshly stitched incision just below the merman’s belly, right above his scales. His body was damp with sweat and red from the ache deep within him after a hard labour. But he looked so happy. He held Melody in his arms, swathed in a soft pink blanket. The bottom half was dampened from the warm wet towel wrapped around her tail. Oh, that tail, it was so pretty, golden like her father, yet it shimmered with greens and browns when it flicked back and forth.

Her hair was a thick tuft of brunette, like Sam’s hair, but her eyes…oh, when the doctors had handed him Melody, and Sam had first held her in his arms, she had been a little slippery, and her mouth had been opened in a wide ‘o’ as she cried, _oh her first cry,_ her voice was melodic, just like her name.

But it was her eyes that had floored him. They were honey and brown, just like Gabriel’s, shining with fresh tears. But she stopped when she smelled him. Her eyes stared up at him, so wide and innocent, her mouth closing and her tail flipping around his arm, resting on his bicep.

He had fallen madly in love with her at that moment. More than he ever thought possible. He would move mountains, part seas, call the stars, _he’d do anything,_ for her.

His little Melody.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cute little Melody is here!  
> Huh...Melody and Matthew -- I sense a pattern...


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all!  
> So its been a bit of a while since my last update, and yeah, I'm sorry its slow going. But my work hours have shifted to longer and late night, my graphics tablet has died and I'm trying to get over really bad personal news, so I'm doing what I can, when I can.  
> I love this fic, and I will be finishing it, I will not leave it. However, its not looking like a daily update thing.  
> Sorry~!

Melody was a sweetheart…

…when she wasn’t screaming the whole house down with her beautiful voice. Surely something so small shouldn’t have such a powerful voice. But surprisingly, it seemed Sam and Gabriel didn’t have a care in the world to the sonorous sounds of her crying.

In fact, as Dean watched on, surprised, shocked and amused, as Sam took the crying child from the crib and held her up in his arms, rocking her back and forth a little as she slowly stopped crying. It was as if they didn’t hear it.

It was quite endearing, but Dean could understand. It was his niece, the pretty little girl, with her tiny hands and teeny fingers, and her pretty little tail that spanned so long it that it wrapped around Sam’s arm all the way up to his bicep, and those soft scales that were so addictive to touch and stroke.

She was in a yellow open bottom onesie and the softest blanket Dean could have found in all of Kansas. Because his niece deserved the best and that was surely one of the very best out there.

Gabriel looked just as exhausted as he had a few days back when he had gone into labour. He was lying on the large bed, drinking a bowl of soup – which was the only thing he could digest for now. Though he looked up to his husband and had the softest smile on his face.

This was nice.

And Dean was so eager to have this kind of feeling in his home. He couldn’t help but imagine his and Cas’s future, holding two beautiful babies in his arms, watching his mate as he recovered from his labour. Giving them milk, rocking them gently and watching as they fell asleep.

Twins…they were going to have _twins!_

The door behind him opened and Cas walked into the bedroom, handing the bottle of water he had in his hand to Gabriel. The merman took it, holding it to his cheek before opening it and taking a sip.

“Thanks Cassie,” He said with a smile, placing the food and the drink on the tray, watching Sam rock Melody to sleep.

“I think she’s hungry,” Sam replied, swaying back and forth as he cradled the little one in his arms.

Gabriel nodded, reaching for the bottle warmer on the side table. But Dean got to it first. He had been reading up on the how to’s when it came to child rearing, and he knew exactly what to do. He pulled open the top, checked the temperature on his wrist and handed the milk off to Sam.

Sam watched him, eyes wide in surprise. And Dean just shrugged, making his way over to his mate.

“You okay, babe?” He asked, running his fingers through Cas’s bed ridden, always damp hair.

Cas had been having a few mood swings and been feeling sick for a while now, and just like it had been for Gabriel, Castiel too was throwing up in certain times throughout the day. Though Dean knew it was a natural occurrence to happen – especially since there were two babies inside his mate, he knew it would be twice as bad – but he still did not like the idea of Cas having to go through so much pain alone.

“I’m fine,” Cas said, patting his stomach, there was a small bulge there, a little more defined than it should have been for six weeks, but since there were two, Dean expected him to be a bit bigger than Gabriel and Adam had been. “But the babies are hungry again,”

Gabriel rolled his eyes, smirking wide. “I suggest a peanut butter and Siracha sandwich,”

Dean’s face visibly blanched at the thought. He looked at Cas, hoping to see a similar reaction, because _really?_ But Cas actually looked like he was thinking about it. And right there, that was when Dean really understood how much he loved his gorgeous mate, because, without a thought. He got up from his seat and made his way out of the bedroom and to the kitchen.

If his mate wanted a sick sounding sandwich, then his mate was going to get it. Thankfully Gabriel had the ingredients in the house – alongside many odd combinations of things, Dean had noticed. Because they were all placed together in the cupboards of the fridge. Getting the bread and the ingredients, he quickly got to work.

So deep in the process of making the odd combination sandwich, he didn’t notice Cas enter the room, until he felt those sweet tentacles wrap around his body, and Cas’s warm weight on his back.

“You’re the best,” Cas murmured to him, watching him work.

Dean smirked, but continued to smear the peanut butter on the bread. He’d pretend the siracha was jam, yes, that’s what he’d do. An oddly spicy scented jam. He was making pb&j, that was it.

“Can I get a few pickles in there too?” Cas asked, so innocently.

Dean closed his eyes, forcing the bile back. Pickles, siracha and peanut butter. Okay, yes, he could do this. With a nod, he reached for the fridge, but Cas was already there, tentacles pulling the fridge door open, wrapping around the pickle bottle and placing it on the table in front of Dean – all without moving away from his mate.

Handy…

With a hard heart, Dean sliced through the pickles, placing them expertly on the sandwich, put the other bread piece on top and sliced through it. Plating it, he handed it to Cas, who looked like Dean had just handed him a steak.

It made him shiver at the thought of the taste, but when he saw the exuberant glow in his mate’s eyes, the way Cas pretty much devoured the sandwich. He wondered why he was feeling so sickened by the odd combination sandwich.

So what if his babies wanted something odd, they were alive in there, swimming around and getting hungry, demanding food. And Dean would give it to them, regardless of what it was.

And he’d do it with a smile. Because he loved his beautiful mate, the mother of his children. Whatever Cas wanted, Cas got.

Cas’s happy expression fell suddenly; he placed the plate on the table and twiddled with his fingers.

“It’s sick isn’t it?” Cas murmured, he looked so downtrodden, that Dean wanted to wrap him up and protect him from the world.

And he did just that. “What is sick?” he asked into Cas’s hair. The octopus shifter had been so happy, gorging away at the sandwich.

Castiel took a moment before he replied, “The cravings.”

Dean frowned. Okay, so maybe he had been grimacing at the thought of the odd cravings. But this was his babies hunger, their demand. It wasn’t odd, not anymore any way. Not when he thought of it like that.

“The babies are hungry,” Dean said as a matter of factly. “And they want the food they want, what’s sickening about that?”

Cas burst with happiness, glowing with such ferocity, it took Dean a moment to gather himself. His tentacles wrapped tight around Dean’s body, holding him tight, keeping him close.

Dean shook his head, he shouldn’t be worried about his mate and his babies, Cas was doing a great job so far, and if he had to endure making pickled, peanut butter and siracha sandwiches for the rest of the pregnancy, then he would. He loved his mate, and his babies, he would give them the entire world if he could.

Cas clenched his shirt, pulling him close. “I love you too, Dean,”

Dean shook his head, his mate and those adorable skills of his. He lifted Cas up in his arms, taking the plate, and together they made their way to the living room. He settled down on the sofa, Cas in his lap and watched as his mate ate.

Momma Cas…he was so sweet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks StBridget for the siracha and peanut butter combination!


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ....sorry its late.  
>  But! Good news! I've gotten back into the swing of work and the whole 'depression' thing as a whole, so I will hopefully be going back to daily updates~!  
> Woohoo!

Cas was hungry.

Well, he was always a little hungry, there was no doubting that. Not that he now had two beautiful little beings growing inside him. But there was always a little quiver of an ache in his growing stomach that felt akin to hunger pangs, but for some reason it couldn’t be quenched, no matter what he ate. It was absolutely frustrating, yet when he placed his hands or tentacles onto his stomach, and felt the two heavily thudding hearts beating deep inside him, he would take the small ache and live with it forever, as long as his little hatchlings were happy.

He had officially passed the first trimester with his pretty little babies. They felt all wonderful and warm and lovely inside him.

But they were demanding something again, and Cas really didn’t know what.

“What do you need my little hatchlings? Are you hungry again?” He asked his stomach, feeling the light thudding of their hearts beating with his skills.

He was thankful his skills allowed him to feel and hear his babies while they were still growing. He had felt it when their brain started developing, the feel of their fingers and toes being created – though he was still unsure what species they would be, he wasn’t sure what a wolf pup or an octopus hatchling _felt_ like inside him. And anyway, it was still too early to really know anything like that.

All he knew was it was a deep, warm and lovely feeling.

Dean had taken to giving him a strict diet that wasn’t just pickles or junk food, because it wouldn’t be good for the baby. Cas was a bit huffy at that, because he really liked eating a packet of crisps and a nice cake with the excuse of the babies being hungry – most times they were, but there were one or two of them that were just him wanting sugar.

Thankfully the morning sickness had eased off, and he was barely feeling the need to throw up after everything he ate – he knew Dean would be happy for that as well.

Speaking of Dean, the wolf came into the living room, with a blanket draped over his arm, and holding a plate in his free hand.

“How are my babies doing?” He asked, walking around the sofa. He wrapped the blanket around Cas, tucking in his wayward tentacles with his free hand, and handed Castiel the plate.

Celery? Really Dean?

But there was peanut butter and jam on top, and that looked very appetising.

“Are we going to Michael tomorrow?” Dean asked, settling down next to his mate, making sure to tuck Cas in a little more tightly in the blanket.

Castiel chewed on the celery stick, a bit of peanut butter sticking to his lip – which Dean was more than happy, and very eager to lick straight off.

“For the scan?” Cas asked, cheeks bursting a bright red.

Dean’s fingers grasped the blanket, and his hand pressed lightly on Castiel’s slightly bulging stomach. He had taken every opportunity he got to press a hand to or lay his head on Cas’s stomach to hear the babies hearts beating, to feel them under his fingers and have that connection that only a father could have. He had read enough to know that the babies were about the size of lemons right now, and he knew it would only be soon when he could actually feel them move, wriggle around or even kick.

He couldn’t wait!

“Michael said Meg was free tomorrow,” Castiel replied, chewing through the celery sticks with a happy smile.

Dean nodded, lifting Castiel’s arms, along with the plate, up and laying his head on his stomach, his ear perked up, pressing flat against the blanket, he heard the hearts beating and closed his eyes.

He loved this feeling.

Castiel’s tentacles peeked out from underneath the blankets and wrapped around Dean’s body, pressing him closer as he happily chewed on his food. He was happy, his babies were sated and his mate, his husband was serene.

What more could he want?

 

~~

 

“There they are,” Meg said, pointing to the sonogram monitor at the side of the room. She held the stick to Castiel’s stomach and pressed it a few times to get a clearer picture on the screen, moving it in small circles to get a good picture of the two little babies.

They were so tiny, little adorable splodges of red and orange, but so very beautiful. They had faces, little noses, web like fingers and toes. But it was still difficult to tell what species they were, or gender for that matter, they were only just over three months in to the pregnancy.

But looking at them, being able to see those beautiful little things sleeping so soundly inside his perfect mate, it made his heart hot.

“Pearls…” Castiel murmured, reaching for the screen, wishing he could physically touch them. “My pretty little pearls,”  

Dean’s hand wrapped around his other hand, squeezing it as he stared, and a smile stretched on his lips.

Meg smiled, watching them. Though the whole ‘pearl’ thing was weird, she didn’t dare say anything. She’s heard worse, and this was not as bad as the whole ‘melody’ thing the last two under Michael’s tutelage had.

“We won’t know the gender or species until the next few months,” The two nodded, still too entrance on the two babies as Meg moved the sonogram stick a little more to show them both. “But your babies are all happy and healthy,”

Castiel let out a deep relieved breath, he had been worried about the little pearls inside him, worried that he’d not be able to take care of them that _something_ would go wrong, and it would all be because he was an octopus shifter. But now that Meg said he was happy and healthy.

Looking back at the two babies on the sonogram screen, hearing their hearts beating, and feeling them deep within himself. They were practically perfect.

Meg let out a breath and moved the sonogram to the middle, where there was a smaller, and slightly thread like thudding.

“Now, we need to talk about the third heart beating,”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...wait...what?  
>  Yup, you read it right...  
> There is a third heart beating in there. More will be explained in the next chapter! Stay tuned~!


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Daily updates?  
> ....uh, actually its more of a...fluke that this happened.

Meg watched the two’s eyes widened, and she felt a tiny little, almost demonic in a sense, glee erupt in her. They didn’t know, and they looked so frightened. She pressed the sonogram a little more onto the top of Castiel’s slightly pudgy belly, where the sound of the third babies’ heart was beating.

She was a little worried about the thread like sound of the small heart beating; the baby wasn’t as big as the other two, about two thirds of the size of the others. Though she knew it was normal in triplets for one of the three to be a little bit smaller, but the heart beat was…

…well, it was slightly worrying. She knew she’d have to watch these two closely. At least until she was happy with the third baby’s health. She hadn’t lied when she said all of the babies were happy and healthy inside their mother, but the heart was beating rather weakly.

She was about to tell the parents, when she saw their shocked, and awed faces staring at the screen once again. It was almost funny to see such a sight before her – not that she wasn’t used to it. But if they were happy with two little babies, they should be happy with three.

“A third heart beat?” Dean choked, he was almost hyperventilating, his breathing harsh as his wide eyes stared at the screen.

“I’m kinda worried about the third baby,” Meg said honestly, it was best for them to

Meg knew they would be fine. They just needed to understand now what was happening and what was expected for them to do, because she wanted to see all three of the babies happy and healthy when they were born. “The heart beat is a little alarming,”

Castiel’s eyes widened and his tentacles quivered, shivering and trembling along the gurney mattress. His grip tightened on Dean’s hand, and he almost whined like the omega that he was.

“Don’t panic,” she quickly replied, holding the sonogram closer to the third baby. She let them listen to the heart beating, though it was quieter than the thicker and stronger sounding pounds of the other two babies. “We just need to make sure momma is healthy, and the babies will follow,”

 “What do we need to do?” Dean asked, his green eyes a fierce alpha red.

Seeing the protective air surrounding the alpha and his mate, Meg knew that they would be just fine.

 

~~

 

If Dean had thought having twins was the greatest feeling in the world, the idea of having triplets was absolutely thrilling. He would welcome them all with wide open arms, care for them with everything he had and make sure they wanted for nothing.

However, and this was where his negativity came from, he wasn’t sure if he could…well, the finances weren’t exactly the best right now. He had just started his garage, it was up and running, but it was still early days. And he was only just starting to get a good clientele – though most of them had followed him from working with Rufus and Crowley before.

And Cas had only started his teaching career. Would having triplets hinder that? He didn’t want to think so; he knew how long it had taken Cas to get into that school – especially with the fact that he was an octopus shifter. However it would have only caused the same problems if they had twins, so what was one more?

He knew what he had to do.

So when they both returned home, told everyone the very good news of their triplets, and had basically spent the rest of the day staying together in one another’s arms and tentacles, just basking in the idea that they now had to worry about three babies instead of two, Dean told Castiel of his plan.

“I think we should talk to your father,”

It ached him to think that he would not be able to provide for his mate with the situation he was in right now. But he knew he’d rather have a happy and healthy family than stroke his pride and ego and make them suffer.

Castiel’s limbs tightened around him, working his suckers over Dean’s skin. He knew just how much Dean hated the idea of asking for help, especially when he knew there was nothing to be worried about.

So Castiel tread a little carefully. “I think we should too,”

When they both came to the conclusion, Castiel reached for the house phone and handed it to Dean. He knew it had to be Dean who had to speak with his father, and though it was a little odd, he understood.

The phone rang a few times before Chuck picked up, he sounded a lot more chipper than usual when he said hello.

“Congratulations on the triplets,” Chuck replied once Dean said his greetings back.

Dean nodded. “Thanks Chuck,”

There was a pause, in which Dean was trying to steady himself. It was against everything he knew to be right; his instincts told him he should do this himself. But he knew he would rather his family be safe and alive, instead of surviving. And if that meant he’d have to beg and plead with his father in law, then so be it.

He’d do anything for his family.

“Something’s wrong isn’t it?” Chuck interrupted him, breaking the silence that had fallen around them. “Is it Cas? The babies?”

“No, no, they’re all fine,” Dean reassured. Though one of the babies was smaller and a little weaker than the others, Meg had assured them that with the proper diet and exercise, and supplements she had prescribed them, all three babies would be healthy when they were born. So he thought it best to keep that little titbit to himself and his mate.

When Dean paused again, Chuck prompted him. “Dean.”

“We need help financially,” Dean blurted out, knowing it would be easier on him to let it all out in one go, rather than trailing the problem along. “I will do everything I can to pay you back, however with three, it’s just getting more and more real, and don’t get me wrong, I love the fact that Cas is pregnant with triplets, I just don’t know if _I_ can give them what they need—”

“Dean, Dean, calm down,” Chuck said suddenly, stopping Dean’s tirade of emotions.

Dean took in a deep breath, and Castiel’s tentacles wrapped around him tighter, hoping to give him some comfort.

“I am more than happy to help,” Chuck replied, the smile evident in his voice even through the phone. “Castiel has his inheritance, and I still need to give you your dowry,”

Dean paused. Wait…what? Dowry? How Archaic was that idea? However, thinking about it now, he’d take it.

“It is customary in Novak alpha’s to give their omegas children and the omegas’ mates a dowry,” Chuck continued, as if he knew Dean’s vehemence on the matter. So he added the one thing he knew Dean wouldn’t question. “It is a Novak _tradition,”_

“Oh,” Was all Dean could say.

So…that helped him out a lot actually.

With the plan of meeting that weekend to talk more about the situation and speak about what they would expect to happen in the near future – because Dean was still adamant he pay Chuck back, though Chuck had stated he needn’t worry – they said their goodbyes and Dean clicked the phone off.

He lay his head on his mate’s stomach, listening to the two heavy hearts beating, followed by one smaller heart beating in the background, and he wondered why he hadn’t noticed the third baby in there.

But he was happy that all _four_ of his babies were healthy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aww, a little bit of angst with the third baby. But remember, happy endings all around~!


	11. Chapter 11

"That is not a dowry," Dean said to himself as he typed a few keys on the laptop.

Chuck had been eager and happy to send the money they had been promised almost straight away -- Damn Lotan alpha and his almost omnipotent senses. Dean, eager to see how much a dowry went for these days -- because in his mind, he had thought a dowry was a few farm animals, like a cow and a goat or whatever, but then he nixed that. Time had changed so much from the archaic times of before.

And though he sat there, next to his beautiful mate, listening to all four hearts beating steadily -- though he understood Meg's worry for the third babies slightly weak heart beating, he was just happy he was able to hear it.

Apparantly, the third baby was growing a little slower than the others -- which Meg had said was normal, and with the right supplements, it'd be strong, if not stronger than its siblings -- he was just greatful to have such beautiful music to lull himself to.

Castiel peered forward, holding a plate of strawberries, wrapped in strings of melted cheese -- yeah, he had a big of a stomach quiver when he made them. 

"Father is being silly," Castiel stated, looking at the extravagant amount of zero's on Dean's funds in his bank account. Cas had his own inheritence, he knew of that, but he hadn't expected to get that so soon. He was expecting to get that particular part of wealth once Chuck inevitable passed (which Castiel would make sure was decades from now).

So this, all of those zeros in a neat row, was just the dowry.

In one way, Castiel was overwhelmed with the amount shown, not that Chuck had any problems giving his children this much. He was a very successful tech giant, however it also made him reconsider just how much his father cared for him.

He had always thought his father -- who was never there -- didn't care for him. He was the odd one out in the entire family, the tentacled freak. But seeing this, seeing the zeros and the ones, and all the numbers in between, it was...too much.

"It's like a fucking train!" Dean gasped, rechecking the numbers.

Castiel chuckled, the numbers did resemble a long train, with the commas and the zeros. His chuckle grew to a laugh, and soon he was holding onto his stomach, laughing until tears fell from his eyes.

Dean narrowed his eyes at his mate, but couldn't help but laugh with him. He had been so worried about their future, about their childrens future. But seeing this - knowing there was no way in hell he would be able to pay all of this back -- was something else entirely. It was soothing, it was calming, it was relieving.

Because with this, he didn't have to worry about the house, the mortgage, the bills, their kids future, college, and whatever else would come there way.

Charles 'Chuck' Novak may have only had four sons, but he clearly loved his youngest the most in this case -- or at least that's what Dean could surmise from  _all those zeros._

Overwhelming was nothing, this was absolutely nuts.

He had called Chuck back, stating such, because damn it was too much. But Chuck had shut him down with a 'my son is worth more than that, but this is all I could do for now'.

For now.

That was forboding.

But, it also meant that Chuck knew what he was doing. He wasn't bleeding himself dry to help them all out. And Dean knew Gabriel had received a similar amount, however because Gabriel was an alpha, it wasn't as much as Castiel.

He was confusing himself, and he really shouldn't be.

"I think we should make a savings account for the triplets," he stated clearly, peering back at his refreshed account. The numbers still blearing the same, telling him this was real, this was actually happening.

Castiel's tentacles tightened around his body, the octopus shifter leaned in closer and pressed a kiss to Dean's cheek, running his forehead into his neck and humming softly.

"I think that's a great idea," he replied.

Dean nodded, wrapping an arm around his mate and his babies, and got to work.

 

~~

 

"Triplets?"

Sam's eyes widened in shock as he read the text message his older brother had sent him. He looked up to Dean and Castiel sitting on his sofa in the middle of the living room. Melody was safe in Dean's arms, sleeping soundly, her pretty golden tail wrapped around her uncles arm.

Dean looked up, noticing him entering from the front door. And he understood why the wolf was so shocked. 

Sam had been in class when Dean had told Gabriel, and he most definitely did not check his texts until that very moment.

Dean nodded, speaking quietly, as not to wake Melody. "Yup, three little ones,"

"Do you know what they are yet?" Sam asked, shrugging off his coat and leaning in to kiss Gabriel -- who was still recovering from the impromptu Cesarean. He then sat next to his brother, placing a kiss to Melody's head.

Castiel shook his head. "Meg said it was too early,"

"Ah..the demoness," Gabriel smirked. "It took a while for us to figure out what Melody was, not that we cared, she could have been a fire breathing dragon, and I'd still love her,"

Sam rolled his eyes and tilted his head to the side to peer at Castiel, to his stomach that was still slightly pudged out.

"Go ahead, Sam," Castiel said, with a bright smile on his face.

Sam's smile widened and he quickly made his way over to Castiel, kneeling down on the carpet before the octopus shifter. He took one look at Gabriel, who nodded, and then to Dean, who rolled his eyes but nodded. Before he placed his long ear against Castiel's shirt clad stomach.

A smile stretched on his face when he heard all three hearts thudding inside the octopus shifter.

It was all so magical. His neices and nephews. He didn't care what they were as long as they were healthy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really want Sam to be excited and happy (just like Dean had been for Melody)


	12. Chapter 12

Lately, Castiel had been having three constant, yet distinct types of overpowering and overwhelming feelings. One was, he was always hungry, always eating snacks or something, the second was that he was always tired, Dean had found Cas sleeping in the oddest of places at some points, and the latest one...Cas seemed to be horny all the time. 

The last one was very new, but it had been happening for a few weeks now. Dean had lost count the amount of times he had woken up in the middle of the night to a slick tentacle wrapped around his cock, or a pretty octopus shifter rutting up against him, gasping his name.  

He was more than happy to indulge in his mates' new habits -- and after speaking with Michael and Meg (which was fucking odd, mind), he found this kind of feeling to not only be considered a normal craving during pregnancy, but it was safe for them to have sex in Castiel's current state. He was eleven or twelve weeks into the pregnancy, so the babies were still little. 

Though Dean was still worried...there were three little babies inside the octopus. However, Castiel said it was more than okay, he was able to sense when his pearls were distressed, and if they ever were when he and Dean were intimate together, then Cas would tell him. 

Dean believed him, and so far, the babies hadn't made a peep -- though the same could not be said for their momma. But Cas was always a vocal lover. 

Sometimes the three feelings merged together, like when Castiel was feeling particularly horny, it'd usually follow with him being so tired that he'd fall straight to sleep right after. And that one time when Cas had pretty much jumped on him at the dining table, and though Dean though it was safer to move the cutlery and plates out of the way, Cas had taken a slice of the pizza they had been having that night and continued eating it, while sitting and thrusting on top of Dean. 

Honestly, if it weren't for the look of absolute bliss on Cas's face, Dean would have thought it weird that his mate was like this. 

But again, it was  _normal._ And yeah, it worried Dean a little. However, the look of his mate, so happy and blissed out, his stomach having the distinct roundness to it, so much so that Dean was able to span both his large hands over his stomach and his hands almost touched, it made Dean weak in the knees. 

Here was his mate, his beautiful Cas, taking what he needed, soothing himself, and their pups -- which Cas had aptly started calling his pearls, for that's what they all looked like on the sonogram,  _precious little pearls_  -- and Dean was happy to help in anyway he could. 

He couldn't imagine just what Cas was going through. It was hard enough for the octopus to get comfortable wherever he was, he was always fidgeting, because the babies were starting to move around inside him.  

There wasn't anyone they could call upon, they didn't know anyone who had had triplets before. But Michael had told him this was the best time for Cas to start doing some easy exercises, like yoga, or swimming, to help with any aches and pains he was feeling. 

Meg had been great, surprisingly. She had told them that she would get one of the best OBGYN's to monitor them carefully -- after freaking them out by saying a triplet pregnancy was classed as a high risk.  

However, she had forwarded them onto a obstetrician named Gadreel, who would be there every step of the way. So far, Gadreel had been pretty good at what he did. He was very professional, almost clinical in a way. He was an avian shifter, Dean scented eagle, and though at first Dean was a little vehement, after all an avian shifter in a canine and marine shifters home was very animal planet. However, the alpha eagle was mated and had small winged children of his own, so he was well versed in the alpha nature that exuded from Dean every time they were close together. 

Alpha's and their pregnant mates were a force to be reckoned with, and Gadreel didn't expect anything less. So when he worked, he made sure to include Dean in the conversations he had with his mate, and he made sure to stay as far from Castiel as possible, so no lingering touches here and there. 

Castiel was doing great, Gadreel had stated constantly. Though there was still a little worry over the weaker heart of the third child, Gadreel -- who had helped pregnant shifters through many pregnancies, including those who had more than one litter -- had stated it wasn't too worrying.  

Castiel just had to make sure he was taking his supplements, and keeping to the healthy food register they had been given by Meg. 

Though Cas was vehement, because there were more fruits and vegetables on the list than anything else, but he would deny his need for any source of peanut butter and jam sandwiches if it meant his little pearls were healthy. Though Gadreel had said he could have just a little bit of everything. Which had made Cas happy. 

But Castiel was exhausted. All of the time. And though Gadreel said it was normal,  _after all, Cas is carrying three babies, not one._ Dean would find Cas in all sorts of places, snoring away peacefully. 

Thankfully Jody understood, so when Cas was at work, he could take a few breaks between classes to take a quick nap. Dean was glad for Jody, that woman was a god send. 

"The babies might not have a full forty-week gestation period," Gadreel had told them one visit, while he was checking Castiel's blood pressure and sugar levels. "Many litters have been born in the thirty fourth week," 

"And they were all healthy?" Dean asked, because he had heard all sorts of horror stories of children being born premature and not surviving. 

Gadreel nodded. "A little small, but all healthy," 

So... they had less time to get ready for the babies' arrivals. 

Every chance Dean got, he'd be in the nursery, knocking down walls, adding extra space, painting and fixing things. He had enlisted Sam, Benny, Kevin, Charlie and even Adam -- who turned out to be a great architect, though most of his drawings revolved around human anatomy and its architecture. It was great to have all the able Winchester's (and Novak's) in his pack help for their arrival. 

Their significant others -- if they had any -- were with Castiel, helping him and keeping him sated while they worked. Gabriel would sneak in sweets when he thought no one was looking, Michael -- who should have been helping Dean out, if Dean had any freaking say in it -- was adamant to be the medicinal watcher, making sure Cas was healthy and comfortable. 

It was a nice change, everyone working together for his unborn children. He wanted his pack to be a part of the family too, so it was nice that they were here, leaving lingering's of their scents for the babies to get used to in the future. 

But even in this happy, and blissful moment he called life, something just had to fucking ruin his happiness. 

Castiel, though he slept all the time, had moments where it was almost impossible for him to get comfortable. The babies were moving, yawning, burping and being all sorts of adorable inside their momma. But Cas was finding it difficult to stay still. Every time he fell asleep, it was fitful, and he would wake up, moaning and whining. 

So when it came to the point where, after Dean picked up Cas from school, and the octopus shifter gave him a kiss and then lay his head on Dean's shoulder, before falling down to his lap as Dean drove, Dean knew his mate was tired, and he was comfortable enough here in the car, with the hum of Baby under them, lulling Cas to the rest he so definitely deserved. 

He took the time to take the long way back home, cruising along the road, listening to a low pounding of classic rock music, and running his free hand over Cas's hair while he slept. 

He didn't expect the douche bag police to stop him on the road and accuse him of public indecency. 

With a growl, Dean had parked the car on the side of the road, hoping he didn't wake Cas up, and waited for the dick wad to appear at his door.  

The police man was a short, stocky looking shifter with a long torch that pointed a beam of light straight into Cas's eyes. "Sir, we don't condone public indecency in this town,"  

Cas grimaced at the light in his eyes and Dean growled. "D'you mind? My pregnant mates' trying to sleep," 

The police man jumped back, taking the torch light from the shifters faces. He knew not to mess too much with an angry, almost feral looking, alpha wolf. And looking down again, he noticed that the octopus shifter was in fact sleeping. There was no inappropriate behaviour being conducted. 

"Sorry sir," the police man stuttered, seeing there was no crime being committed, he clicked his torch off and tapped his cap. "Drive safe," 

Dean rolled his eyes, and watched the policeman get into his car, before he started Baby again and drove back to their home. He'd rather Cas safe in his bed than out here with idiots. 

He was a possessive assbutt, so what? 


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *waves*  
> So I'm going to attempt the NaNoWriMo again this year.  
> For those who aren't aware, that is when you challenge yourself to write a novel, story, fanfiction (whatever you want to call it) over the course of a month, and try to get it to 50k words.  
> So I will most likely try to finish this fic by the end of November (which is easily done...I hope) and once the Nanowrimo challenge is complete, I will see to my other fics and see if I have any inspiration to write another fic to this series.  
> Wish me luck~!

"Many weeks had passed, and the octopus shifter, known as Uncle Cassie, was only getting bigger and bigger and bigger."

Castiel's eyes narrowed as he stared at his older brother sitting calmly on the sofa opposite him. They were currently at the house, playing with the new baby, while Matthew, Adam and Michael’s Lotan baby was sleeping soundly in his little Moses basket in the corner of the room.

Gabriel’s soft and warm siren like voice soothed him, however his words did not. “Daddy wondered whether Uncle Cassie had swallowed a whole house,”

"Stop it, Gabriel..." Castiel mumbled. But he held a few tentacles to his round stomach, sucking on his skin soothingly. Having and carrying triplets were something else entirely. His stomach had blown up by the end of the second trimester, and almost twenty seven weeks into the pregnancy, he was tired all the time. Either that or he was eating food to nourish him, but then after he’d eat, he’d be tired and want to sleep.

Gadreel and Meg had told him this was all normal, after all carrying three little lives inside him would take a toll on his body and his habits. And apparently, eating and sleeping was one of the top most in importance.

Momma needs to be healthy for babies to be healthy.

He had taken an early maternity leave from work, and Jody was more than excited to see the three, that she allowed him all the time he needed.

Octopus shifters were rare, but their hatchlings were all the more rare, and sensitive to the world. They required twenty four hour care in the first few months alone. Their tentacles needed to acclimatise to the world and the best way to do that was constant touch and love.

Castiel was glad Jody understood. But these babies were only a few months into the pregnancy, and Castiel was tired of feeling so tired all the time.

And he was _huge_. Gabriel hadn’t been wrong when he said Castiel looked like he had swallowed a whole house. It definitely looked like he had. He couldn't see his feet any more, and that was only when he could manage to stand up. However, every time he did stand up, his back ached at the strain of the weight on his stomach. He had been forced to bed rest by Gadreel, and Dean was acting like a mother hen, clucking and cawing at every single thing.

It was absolutely cute and extremely adorable, holding onto Castiel, lifting him up in his strong arms and making sure Castiel was happy. But Castiel was tired!

Gabriel didn't listen to Castiel; instead he ran a soothing, webbed finger down his precious daughter's cheek, as she lay in his arms. "But little Melody was going to have three little ones to play with, and take a care of,"

Melody watched on, enthralled as her daddy told her a story, too young to do anything but raise her hands out to him. She let out a little happy gurgle, her fingers slapping on Gabriel's chin, grabbing it and tugging at his stubble.

She let out a little cry, her ruddy red cheeks puffing up a little, her pretty golden eyes scrunching and her golden tail flailing in her blanket.

"My little Melody must be hungry," he mused, reaching for the baby bottle in the bottle warmer sitting on the coffee table. Pulling off the top, he checked the temperature with his wrist and placed the warm milk in Melody's waiting mouth.

"You're an expert at that already," Castiel mused, watching his older brother intently.

Gabriel got Melody comfortable in his arms, as she suckled on the bottle. He knew exactly what Castiel was feeling right now, and he didn't have to read his baby brothers mind to understand what he was going through.

Castiel was worried, and rightly so. He had three little ones inside him, who he’d need to take extra care of when they were finally ready to grace the world. And though he had a few weeks left until the inevitable time, he was still so very worried. Because hell, one little baby looked difficult enough to care for – and Gabriel could attest to that, because though Melody was the light of his life, the reason for his living, she was a difficult one to care for sometimes. And since he was still recovering from his labour, and Sam working to help keep the house up, he was alone in the afternoons.

His poor Sam, the omega wolf always came in exhausted from a long day at work, and yet he was the most attentive and loving husband, father and lover. Gabriel always wondered what miracle he had done in a previous life to have a gift that was the omega wolf, Sam Winchester.

He was brought back to the present by the small whine Castiel released.

"I'm worried," Castiel murmured, watching Melody sucking on her milk bottle. "Three babies is a lot to handle after all,"

_Right on the bullet,_ Gabriel thought to himself _._

He would have replied, but he knew Castiel had to get his worries and his fears out. And who better to do so to than his own brother. The one man who understood him.

"Don't get me wrong, I am madly in love with all three of my pearls," He paused, running his warm hands soothingly over his round stomach. They only had a few months left before the babies graced the earth, and Castiel could not wait to hold them in his arms, feed them, rock them to sleep and just have them all with him – whatever they were.

"But I don't..." He paused, hugging his stomach, leaning down to stroke the babies that were slowly moving a little inside him. "I can't even hold them all in my arms,"

Gabriel chuckled, careful not to jostle his daughter. She made a whine under her breath, but continued drinking.

"What if they hate me?" He groaned, holding his stomach tighter. "What if they stay with Dean all the time and _hate me?_ What if they don’t like my tentacles? What if I drop them?"

Gabriel cleared his throat, forcing Castiel to look up. "When you have your babies, you'll forget everything but them, all of your worries will go away,"

"How do you know?" Castiel asked, his tentacles quivering underneath him. " _How do you know?"_

Castiel was so worried, so scared for his babies, that he was literally shivering, shaking in his tentacles. He was holding onto his stomach, cradling it and the precious load with his life.

"Because I felt the same way as you're feeling now," Gabriel confessed. He remembered how he had felt in the final few moments of his pregnancy. The weeks fading into days, worried that his baby would shy away from him, or not love him, or be hurt, or disfigured or something awful.

The amount of alpha-born babies was far and few and he had worried constantly about his little Melody. But once she was finally in his arms, looking so very beautiful as she cried in her little siren like voice.

He had fallen so strongly in love with her that he knew he would do anything in his power to make sure she would stay the happy and healthy Melody that she was.

And he told the same to Castiel. “Your babies are going to be fine, and they will love you, because you are their mother.”

Castiel still seemed a bit vehement, “What about Dean?”

Gabriel paused. “What about Dean?”

Castiel looked down to himself, running his fingers over his pregnant stomach, running soothing circles over the firm flesh. He had been feeling somewhat worried about what Dean would think of him. He was large, _fat,_ and sweaty. His hair was a mess, his body was plump and all he did was eat and sleep and rest.

“What if Dean stops loving me?” He breathed his voice low so only Gabriel could hear.

Gabriel let out a sigh, and was about to reply to Castiel, to tell the octopus shifter how much of an idiot he was being, because Gabriel knew how much Dean loved him, how possessive he had become now that his mate was pregnant with not one, but three children.

There was something about wolves and pregnant mates. Sam had been the same, positively bleeding with possessiveness.

It had been so hot…

Dean chose then to walk into the room, hands and shirt covered with pastel green paint from doing the last touches to the babies lay room. But his eyes were so bright, his smile so wide when he saw his mate. He bee lined for Castiel and leaned into him, pressing a deep and heavy kiss to Castiel’s lips. He placed his hands on Castiel’s stomach, leaning down to kiss it too.

And Castiel’s worries…though still hot in his mind, they were slowly going away. He could _feel_ how much in love Dean was with him, especially now that he was so big and round and fat. And Dean _liked_ it. In fact, Dean _loved it._

Just a few more weeks before his little pearls graced the world. And now that he knew what he was feeling was considered normal – after all Gabriel looked so put together with his little Melody – he knew he didn’t have to worry.

He had his family, and that was all he needed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're almost there~!  
> Poor Cas so worried about his pregnant-ness.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Get ready guys... because we're going to find out the genders!!

"Are you ready?" Meg asked, holding the sonogram to Castiel's large and rounded stomach. 

Castiel nodded, laying down on the gurney. The plastic paper crinkling under his larger weight. Dean helped him onto the bed, holding onto his hand as they waited for Meg to start the procedure.

Castiel and Dean had decided to wait and find out the gender and species of the babies when they were born. It was supposed to be a special surprise for them all. However, near the last few weeks of the second trimester, their third pearl, the smallest of the three had been showing a few complications. It hadn't been kicking or moving as much as the others, and honestly, its heart beat was still somewhat weak – though it had grown stronger as the weeks shed away. It still wasn't as fast or as loud as the other two babies.

They had rushed straight to Michael, even though Gadreel had told them countless of times that the babies, all three of them, were alright. And though they knew to trust the eagle shifter, they were still worried.

Dean had read way too much about triplets in shifters, normal shifters had so many problems, he didn't want to think about what would happen with a rare shifter species like Castiel.

Michael had been adamant, telling them the same. That the third baby was showing slow signs, but it was still okay, it was still just as strong as its siblings. But he still checked to give them some peace and solace. However, in doing so, he had accidentally told them the gender of their baby.

A girl.... the third, smaller little baby pearl was a girl.

_A girl!_

And though it had been an accident, and they had decided to keep the other two babies genders a secret. They just couldn't help themselves. Only a week after they had found out the amazing news, they were back at the hospital, smiling widely and wanting to know the gender of the other two babies.

Meg was more than happy to help. She wanted to know too. The two were starting to grow on her. But she had strictly been told by the alpha of the two to only tell them the gender and not the species of the babies.

They still wanted that to be a surprise.

Castiel waited on the gurney, patiently, or well, as patiently as he could while Meg got to work. She slapped the sleeve of her glove to her wrists and squirted the cold gel onto his stomach. Castiel shivered at the feeling, watching as she placed the soft plastic like sonogram stick on his stomach. She moved it in large circles, spreading the gel before she stopped at their third child.

"You already know about the little girl," she said with a smile, showing them, the face of the small baby sleeping soundly. She had a thumb in her mouth and she looked so peaceful. But her heart beat was still thread like, and that frightened Dean.

His hand squeezed Castiel's fingers. That heart beat had been haunting him ever since he had first heard it. It was so weak, so small and thread like. He just wanted his babies to all be okay.

He had had so many horrific nightmares for the past few nights, imagining situations where all three of his babies were never born, or that Castiel had so many complications during the child birth or the labour that none of them made it.

He had woken up in a cold sweat, body shaking, breath gasping. He had hyperventilated and had panic attacks before, but nothing could come close to the thought of not having his babies with him.

Castiel had been so supportive, so loving and so caring, wrapping his tentacles tighter and tighter around Dean, keeping him close, letting his rest his head on his pregnant stomach, so Dean could hear the babies. So, he could hear for himself, and feel when the babies kicked or moved. So, he could see that they were all okay. All four of them.

The doctors had told them countless of times that though they may hit a few complications, they shouldn't worry. Because Michael would do his damndest to make sure his brother and his nieces or nephews were all perfect.

Coming back to reality, he saw Meg move the stick to one end of Castiel's stomach, knowing the curve of the stick tickled his mates stomach. He remembered all the times he had kissed that stomach, feeling his mate chuckle under his breath. Meg stopped when she had a clear picture of the baby's head. This one was asleep too, curled in on itself. His heart beat was steady and strong. Meg moved the stick here and there, trying to get a clearer picture.

With an aha, she returned back to its head. "You've got a boy,"

Dean gasped, a bright smile stretching on his face. The little sound he had made had caused Castiel to become all the more elated.

A boy and a girl!

Meg did a little happy skip as she leaned in and moved the stick to the other side of Castiel's stomach, to where the third and final baby was resting. This one wasn't resting, it was moving a little, wriggling its little hands and letting out the cutest yawn.

Dean watched, enthralled, knowing that if he could, he'd easily watch this for the rest of his life. His only break away was knowing that once these three were out, they'd be all the cuter. And he'd be able to  _touch them._

Meg moved the stick again and smirked when she returned to the head. "Another boy,"

"Two boys and one girl," Castiel murmured, pressing his hands to either side of his stomach. He looked up to Dean, who had his eyes glued to the sonogram. He also had the widest smile on his face, and there were tears falling from his eyes.

"Two boys and a girl," Dean repeated, mostly to himself as he tried to come to the reality that this was actually happening. He knew what they were now. Not that he cared. He didn't care what gender or species they were.

But knowing was another thing entirely.

"You guys come up with names yet?" Meg asked as she let them have a few more moments with the sonogram and the babies. She clicked a few buttons on the sonogram machine and the printer in the corner of the room burst to life.

Castiel looked up at Dean, the wolf shrugged his shoulders. "Not anything solid,"

"You've got time," Meg replied, when she thought they had enough time with the sonogram, she quickly wiped Castiel's stomach clean, and then the machines. Slipping off her sanitary gloves, she threw them in the bin and made her way to the printer. She took the papers and slid them into a small folder.

She handed Dean the folder, as Castiel covered his stomach and sat up on the gurney. Dean took the folder and pulled it open. Inside were three images of the babies faces, all looking adorable and so beautiful.

"Thanks Meg," Castiel said, looking at the pictures with Dean.

The wolf held the pictures to his chest, letting the images burn in his memory and smiled so wide. He looked down at his mate, pressing a kiss to his hair and helped him off the gurney and to his feet.

"You better come to me when they're born," Meg stated, she stopped them before they could leave and reached for the final printed paper. She placed the paper into a manila envelope and handed it to Dean. "In case you get curious about their species,"

Dean nodded, and took the envelope, knowing he wasn't going to look at it. But he had to hand it to her, she knew exactly what was running through his mind. Now that he knew the gender, he was desperate to know the species.

But that could wait.

"Thanks Meg,"


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slightly short one today.

Dean was forced awake in the middle of the night with his heart hammering like a jackrabbit in his chest, sweat dripping down his body and his breath coming out in short, raspy gasps.  

The memory of his nightmare was still fresh in his mind. Of Castiel going into and early labour, screaming and wailing as Dean took him to the hospital, holding onto a bleeding and bulbous stomach. In the dream, Dean had not been able to go in to the labour room and was forced to wait outside, all he could do was listen as his mate screamed his name, begging and pleading for him, writhing and bellowing, and Dean was forced away by the doctors. And then... 

...nothing. No sound, no more screams. Just complete silence. 

And Dean knew then, deep in the recesses of his heart, they didn't make it. 

The dream itself has been frightening enough. But when he felt Castiel's tentacles coil tighter and tighter around his body on their bed, slippery with something that wasn't ink or slick it came back full force. Oh god. Please. No. Castiel was convulsing, shivering and trembling. And at first Dean thought he was having a bad dream. 

He turned around and ran a soothing hand down Castiel's body, pulling him closer and holding him steady, comforting him. 

But it was when Castiel let out a distressed cry, followed by his name that alerted Dean. He was up then, flinging the covers from his body and looking down to his mate, frantic that something had happened. No...no, no, no. This was too early, wasn't it? It had only been twenty-nine weeks, they still had a good five weeks left before they had to worry about this. Michael, Meg and Gadreel had told them that the triplets could induce labour, and could be born on or after the thirty fourth week. 

It was still too early. 

Shuddering with worry, thousands of thoughts running through his head. Of his mate in pain, of the babies being born too early, premature or hurt. Of all the complications that could occur to any one of the four that he held so close to his heart. 

He wished he hadn't read all of those stories in those fucking Omega Weekly magazines. They fueled his fear, gave him scary images he didn't need to be thinking of right now. 

No, no, no. This was...no this couldn't be right! 

Castiel's whine was heart breaking, and it brought Dean up to his knees on the bed. He reached for his mate, soothing the tentacles that were writhing on the sheets, wanting to cradle his convulsing body close. Instead, he got to work, getting up and throwing on whatever was available around them, once he was in his boots and draped a warm coat over his mate, he lifted Castiel's slick body up, holding him close to his body. He pushed the bedroom door open with his foot and made his way down the stairs and out into the garage. 

"Dean!" Castiel tried to say, his little whine was worrying, but Dean wasn't listening. He was in alpha mode right now. He fished for his keys on the hook by the door, pushed the garage door open with his foot and pulled open Baby's door. He placed Castiel carefully into the backseat of the car, throwing the blanket he had picked up along the way around Castiel's body. 

"It gonna be alright babe," Dean said, pressing a kiss to Castiel's hair, not listening as Castiel called his name again. "We're all gonna be fine," 

He closed the door and got into the driver's side. Closing his door, he clicked the button to open the garage door and started Baby up. She roared to life, as if she knew exactly what was happening, and he drove off out of their garage, the door closing slowly behind them, and down the road. 

"Dean!" Castiel yelled from the back. "Wait! Just listen to me--" 

But Dean wasn't listening. His thoughts were still filled with all the horrible images he had seen of babies being born prematurely. They had been so small and some hadn't even made it. His dream hadn't helped him out at all. The sound of the deafening silence was excruciating, and he prayed it wasn't something as stupid as a premonition, because the thought of life without his mate, without his babies? 

He didn't want to think about it. 

Thankfully it was the middle of the night and the roads were clear, so he was able to drive fast down the empty streets, only stopping uphold traffic laws. They reached the hospital at record time. 

Castiel had tried to talk to Dean the entire time, but Dean had just told him that everything would be okay. He parked the car in the emergency section, threw open the door and lifted Castiel into his arms. He thundered through the hospital, frantic and as alpha as he could be. 

Surprisingly Michael was working that night and he was standing at the reception, talking to the shifter who was handing him a few files. When he saw Dean he quickly made his way over to the two. 

"What hap--" 

But Dean interrupted him, he tightened his grip on Castiel’s body, pleading with the alpha Lotan. 

"He woke up whining and I think--" he took in a shuddering breath, unable to breath at the thought of his babies being born early. 

"Dean!" Castile yelled, holding to his face and bringing the wolf's attention back to him. "These are fake contractions!" 

Dean paused. "Wh-what?" 

"I tried to tell you. My body is preparing itself for childbirth," he continued, his cheeks ringing red with embarrassment. "These are like practice contractions," 

"Ah. Braxton Hicks contractions," Michael said knowingly, hiding a smirk behind his hand. Seeing Dean's glare, he added slowly, "You'll make good time when it's the actual labour," 

Deans cheeks burst a bright red with his embarrassment. Fidgeting with his feet, he growled and, still holding Castiel in his arms, went back home. At least he knew what to do when the time came. 

But Braxton Hicks contractions can go fuck themselves. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ....pfffttt....hehehehehe....  
>  Sorry, I had to.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I won't be able to watch 13x02 until tomorrow...darn UK timings. So I can't say much about that, except I hope its not another cry fest (because my heart is only just picking itself up from last weeks episode).  
> This is a little something to commemorate the episode (I hope).

Bloated.

Castiel felt bloated.

He sat on the comfortable sofa, a blanket around his body keeping him warm and sated. However he felt tired as he lay there, listening to Dean puttering around in the kitchen, making something that smelled absolutely delicious. The television was a dull sound in the background, and he had stopped paying attention to it long ago. Looking down to his stomach, he let out a low sigh.

Ever since the scare a few weeks back, every time Castiel let out a whine, or a whinge, or any noise from his lips, or if he winced, or his tentacles slithered a little too loudly, Dean would either come straight into the room to ask if he was okay, or he would pop his head from wherever he was and peer at him.

It was cute, adorable even, how protective Dean was being. That moment with the fake contractions had scared them both. At first, even Castiel had thought it was real contractions that he was going to have his babies there and then. But then he remembered all those books he had read on pregnancies and knew that this wasn’t him going into labour.

But he felt bloated.

He couldn’t move, because his stomach was so large. His tentacles ached, throbbing madly, and were slicked with an oily sheen – which he had found was natural in octopus shifters during the final parts of their pregnancy. This was his body’s way of getting ready for the birth itself.

He couldn’t get up or stand, because his tentacles could not keep him up for too long – which was odd because there were eight limbs. His back ached, and even sitting down made him feel a twinge of pain. He couldn’t even wrap his arms fully around his stomach anymore it was so huge.

He didn’t know how those other omegas did it. And most of them stayed pregnant for the whole forty weeks. He was only on his thirty fourth week. He didn’t think he could take six more weeks of this.

He was ready for these babies to come out.

Lifting his shirt up, he looked down to his pregnancy, seeing his stomach, his pale skin stretched and thinned over the roundness, his belly button protruding out. He could feel his babies inside him; they were happy and heathy, moving around or dozing.

He loved them all so much, their souls were so bright, their hearts beating loud and strong, even though his little girl was still a little weaker than her brothers, she was still going on strong. But neither of them showed any indication of wanting to come out.

And it was frustrating. Because Cas was more than ready to finally meet them.

One of his sons had sought to sitting on his bladder, and every time the babies moved, Castiel had the urgent need to rush to the bathrooms. That little one was going to be a handful, Castiel knew it.

He saw one of the babies kick his stomach, a little bump forming in the middle of his stomach. He held a hand to it, soothing the babies with his warmth, hoping that his skills allowed the babies to know how much love they had when they finally decided to come out and greet the world.

He couldn’t wait for them to come out.

And to think, all of this happened because he had kidnapped Dean all those years ago. If he hadn’t gotten the courage to go after Dean and bring him back to his home, they may not have made it this far. If he hadn’t gotten that love letter from Dean.

He remembered Dean, standing there on the rooftop of their school, holding the letter out to him. His eyes had shone so brightly, and his smile had been so wide when Cas had taken the letter from him. And he had thought it was for Cassie.

He needed to see that letter.

He slowly and carefully got up off the sofa, untangling his tentacles from the blanket and setting off to their bedroom. He could hear Dean humming a familiar tune under his breath, and he smiled. Dean sounded happy.

But Castiel had a mission.

He pushed the door open to his bedroom and settled onto the soft plush rug Dean had placed on his side of the bed. It was soft under his tentacles. Dean had put it there to help Castiel in the morning, because sometimes when Castiel got up, he preferred to step on something more comfortable than wooden floors. Dean was always so tentative to his tentacles, always massaging them when he had the chance to, making sure Cas was comfortable.

It was so sweet, and Castiel couldn’t believe Dean was his.

He reached a tentacle down under the bed and wrapped it around a silver metal box. Tugging it out and placing it on the ground before him, he lifted the flap and smiled at what he saw inside. It was little trinkets and keepsakes from his life, primarily after Dean had entered his life.

He had all sorts of things inside his little box, the trinkets he had saved from their dates, the first time Dean bought him flowers, the ticket stubs to their first movie date, the photos they had taken together, receipts, the notes they had taken in class, the promise ring Dean had given him on their first Christmas together at the Winchester’s Den, his wedding bouquet pressed into their wedding program, and even one of the eight pregnancy tests he had taken, there was still a faded blue line on the tip.

He dug through the box, reminiscing on each memory, until he reached the item he had been searching for. Dean’s love letter. It was still as immaculate, if not a little rumpled, from when Dean had first given it to him. Lifting it up, he brushed the dead petal from its face, and turned it around. The flap was still immaculately closed. He tugged it open and pulled the letter inside. Unfolding it, he readied himself for what was inside.

_“Dear Castiel,”_

Castiel held a breath, this _was_ addressed to him. How had he been so stupid to think it was for Cassie?

_“I know I’m not very good at words, so I thought this was the best way to get everything out in the open._

_I love you, Castiel Novak,”_

Castiel felt his heart hammering madly in his chest. Dean had said he loved him so many times, in so many different ways. Yet this one, this was the _first time_ Dean had ever said it. And it made Castiel’s body warm.

_“I know I’m not perfect, I make mistakes, I have jealousy issues and I can have trust issues. I can be moody sometimes. But I promise you, that when I say I love you, I mean it. I am faithful to you, my mate. And I will do everything I can to keep you._

_If nothing else, I hope you know that I love you with every ounce of my being. I love you, and I will love you, over and over. Without pause. Without a doubt. With every single one of my heart beats. I will always love you._

_I hope you realise your importance, not only to me but to everyone who has been lucky enough to know you. I hope you know that when you’re feeling down, I only ever strive for your happiness. I hope you remember that no matter what, I’m here for you and I fully intend on staying in your life for as long as you’ll have me. I hope you recognise the fact that I appreciate and adore you without restraints, and that this will never change._

_And even though I’m unsure about most things in life. I am certain that I love you, and will continue to love you, forever._

_Always yours,_

_Dean,”_

 

Dean found Castiel in their bedroom, sitting on the rug, holding a crumpled paper to his chest. He was curled up on himself and was sobbing. Dean dropped the dish towel he held in his hands and rushed over to his mate.

“Cas,” He called out, dropping to his knees and taking his mate in his arms. Was he okay? Were the babies okay?

Castiel looked up, his tentacles reaching and curling around Dean, eyes swimming with tears. He saw the crumpled up paper and recognised it. Had Castiel only just now read his love letter? Was that why he was crying?

Shaking his head, he held his mate closer to him, holding onto him as tight as he could, without hurting him or the babies.

Castiel leaned up then, reaching for his mate and kissing him with everything that was in him. He kissed Dean until their wasn’t a breath left inside him, and when they parted to suck in air, he only swooped up to kiss him again. Dean eagerly returned Castiel’s kiss, hoping he could convey everything that was written in that letter, hoping Castiel knew Dean still loved him just the same, if not more. His love had only grown leaps and bounds since that letter.

“I love you, Castiel Winchester,” he breathed into his mate’s mouth.

Castiel let out a quiet sob, “I love you to, De- _oh!”_

Castiel hissed, his stomach feeling odd and his tentacles slick, he held his hands to his stomach. His eyes widened in shock as he looked up at Dean, and Dean knew what that meant.

The babies were coming.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...It's baby time!  
>  Is everyone excited?


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, you guys ready? Got everything you need?  
> Alright, great. Let's get this show on the road.
> 
>  **Warning**  
>  Birth. But not graphic.

Dean felt like his nightmare was coming true. 

He had lifted Castiel up and together they had made their way at record speed to the hospital. The streets had been busy, and there had been traffic in certain areas. But with the will of God by their side, they had quickly and efficiently made their way to the hospital. 

Holding his mate, the very reason for his existence in his arms, he bolted through the hospital and demanded for them to take care of Castiel. The octopus shifter was in so much discomfort and pain that he didn't reprimand his mate for being so abrasive. 

An older, dark skinned nurse appeared before him, wheeling a wheelchair to them. Dean carefully placed Castiel on the chair and followed as the nurse took them to the labour ward.  

Once inside, the doctors and resident nurses got to work. 

Dean watched, his breath ragged, his body shivering and shuddering as Castiel screamed through his pain. His dream was on the forefront of his mind, of Castiel's screams turning to silence, of none of them making it. So much so that he didn't see or hear the doctor come in and tell them that Castiel was ready to give birth. 

Wait...no... this was too soon. He knew births were never this quick. He had expected hours of waiting for Castiel to be dilated enough to give birth. He had read all of those books from cover to cover. That meant, Castiel had been in labour while he was at home. He had been having contractions so much that when the time actually came for the babies to be born, they were in the hospital. 

Dean had just thought Cas had been complaining about the babies kicking, as he usually did. He hadn't expected... 

Oh, god. He was the absolute worse! 

"Dean!" Castiel's whine brought him back to the present, he saw his mate, skin matted with sweat, body strained as the doctors got to work.  

He reached for his mates' hand, holding it tight and murmuring soothing words to him. His baby needed him right now, Castiel looked scared and in so much pain. The doctors wheeled him to the room and Dean dutifully followed, holding his husbands hand tightly. 

They were not going to stop him from coming inside and seeing his beautiful mate give birth to his sons and daughter. 

"I'm right here babe," he murmured, pressing his mouth to Castiel's hair, breathing in his scent and soothing him with his touch. "You're doing so well," 

The nurses backed Dean away and he was given a pair of scrubs to put on. He did so quickly, just so he could return to holding onto Castiel. Every moment he wasn't with his mate, was a minute he felt like his dream could come true. 

A dark-skinned woman, who must have been Dr. Mosely, came into the room, she was smiling brightly, and had a soft and endearing voice. 

"Well, you're definitely a new species," she said with a bright smile on her face. 

What? She's never helped octopus shifters give birth before? Dean didn't like that idea one bit. What if something happened? He growled at the thought, his grip tightening on Castiel's grasp. He could barely see Castiel's tentacles over the large stomach, but he saw a few of the attending nurses hold them up and tie them down to the stirrups on either side of bed. 

"Don't be so feral, Mr. Winchester," Dr. Mosely reprimanded. "I can do this," 

Castiel's free hand reached up to Dean's cheek, pulling him down. Dean followed dutifully, looking into his mates wet, yet still beautifully blue, eyes. "Dean," 

"It's alright Cas," he reassured his mate, even though he was so worried inside. "Everything's going to be fine," 

"That it will," Dr. Mosely chimed in, setting herself in between Castiel's tentacles. She slipped on gloves and got to work. "My, my, you're ready to come out aren't you, darlings," 

Dean wasn't paying attention to her any more, his gaze never left the scared and worried expression on his mates' face. He whispered soothing words as the doctor finally told him to push. 

He had read about the complications for every shifter when it came to multiple births. They ran through his head right now, each more gruesome than the last. But he focused on Cas, he focused on his mate, helping him breathe in short, quick breaths as he pushed. 

After what seemed like hours, Dr. Mosely finally said for Castiel to give one final push, and the sound of a baby's cries filled the air. 

"The first boy," She quipped, holding the baby up and handing it to one of the nurses. "Congratulations, a wolf pup," 

A wolf pup son! 

Dean's eyes widened and he let out a bright smile. A wolf pup! Their first son was a wolf pup! He pressed his lips to Castiel's matted ones, laughing at the sight of the beautiful, plump little baby in the nurse's arms, watching as she cleaned him. The baby's cries were the sweetest sound in the world, high pitched yet so sweet. 

"Our first son!" Castiel said tiredly, watching as the nurse brought the baby over to them. Dean was eager to reach out for him, wanting to hold his son,  _his_ _son,_ close. But Castiel's hissed gasp called Dr. Mosely back. 

"Alright, that was quicker than expected," She said, looking up at the two. "You ready for round two, Castiel?" 

Dean's grip didn't falter from Castiel's hands, he watched as the nurse carefully put their first son in the see-through bassinet. He was still wailing, but he was swathed in a soft looking blanket. And as much as Dean wanted to go over there and just look, he knew it would be all the sweeter when there were three of them. 

Moments later, another scream echoed around the room, as their second child was born. Dr. Mosely held the second child up, handing it to another nurse, who was quick to cleaning and swathing it in warmth. 

"Second baby boy," she cooed, "Another wolf pup!" 

Another one! Another gorgeous wolf pup. Though Dean was a little sad that neither of them had been octopus shifters, he was just happy that they all looked and sounded healthy. They had a set of lungs on them. 

The nurse lifted the second baby from the basin and placed it in the second bassinet, wheeling the two over to Dean's side so he could see the two babies as they cried. Castiel peered up and saw the two boys, his sons, and he was eager to hold them close. The nurse handed one son, the eldest, to Castiel, pressing him to Castiel's skin, and handed the second to Dean. One of Castiel's tentacles wrapped around his boy, while his hands stroked his baby's face. 

But he quickly handed him over to Dean as another contraction hit him. 

"My, my," Dr. Mosely said, "Third baby is anxious to come out, isn't she?" 

Dean held his sons in his arms, and he felt his body warm up. His heart thudded, a smile stretching across his lips and he couldn't help but just stare at them. They all looked up at him, pudgy, and slightly reddened skin, straight noses, plump lips, a smattering of dark blonde hair on their heads, with two thin pointed wolf ears, much like Deans. He couldn't see the tails, as they were bundled in the cloth, but he knew they were going to be the same colour. They looked identical, except for their eyes. One, the eldest, had Castiel's eyes, the same awe-inspiring blue Dean saw whenever he looked into his mates' eyes, and the youngest son had his eyes, the forest green that were currently shining with tears. 

His sons...he wanted to hold them close to his chest and keep them safe, keep them protected. They sniffed at him, calming in his presence, recognising their father, and Dean felt tears escape his eyes, tears of utter joy as his sons scented him.  

Castiel's sudden scream caused Dean's heart to almost stop completely. One of the nurses circled around the bed and reached to help the doctor with their daughter. 

Oh god...oh no, this was it wasn't it?  _No! Please!_  

Dean stood there, with his beautiful boys in his arms, watching as Castiel whimpered and screamed for their last child. Dr. Mosely was doing her best, he could tell. But Dean's heart could not take it anymore. 

He waited, in silence, as he watched them work.  _Dr._ _Mosely is the best,_ he remembered Michael telling them when Melody had been born. She could do this right? 

Those few moments felt like a lifetime, but finally, finally there was a small, almost weak cry as their third and final child was born. Dr. Mosely's eyes were wide, and Dean felt his worry spike. 

Why was she looking at his daughter like that? 

She raised the baby up into the nurses' hands, and Dean saw them. 

Tentacles...she had tentacles. Beautiful, dark purple tentacles, just like Cas's. They were swirling and curling this way and that as one of the nurses cleaned her and swathed her in a different set of blankets, they were soaked and stained with black ink -- Castiel's ink. 

His daughter was a tentacle shifter! 

His attention was brought to Castiel, his husband looked so exhausted. He leaned down and pressed a kiss to his mates' hair, telling him how good he had been, how perfect he was and how much he loved him. 

The nurses quickly cleaned up around them and left the five alone in the room together. Dr. Mosely did one last check up on the babies, telling them that they would probably need to be checked a bit more thoroughly later, after all they were born in the thirty fourth week, but they all looked healthy and happy. She let the parents have a moment with their children before their family and friends would come in. 

Dean settled next to Castiel, handing him their sons, while one of the nurses handed their daughter to him. The nurse smiled brightly, congratulating them, and closed the door behind her as she left the room. 

"You did really well," Dr. Mosely said as she closed the door behind her. 

Alone with their children, Dean let out a breath he hadn't known he had been holding. Castiel wrapped his tentacles around his children and his mate, keeping them close to him as they stared at one another. 

"You are amazing," Dean murmured to Castiel, pressing a kiss to his lips. 

He gazed down at his daughter. She was  _so small,_ a tiny little thing that fit in the crook of his arm. But he had seen her tentacles, they were long, and tapered. She must have been wrapped up in them inside Castiel, which was why she looked so small. She had such beautiful, wide eyes, and her hair was a dark brown. She looked like an exact replica of Castiel, except for her eyes, they were all Dean. 

"They look like you," Castiel murmured, holding his two sons close to his body, looking down at their beautiful faces as they scented their parents. 

"Our daughter looks just like you," Dean murmured, his heart growing a thousand sizes bigger as he stared at his children. 

They were all so beautiful, so wonderful. And he couldn't believe it was happening. He pressed another kiss to his mates quivering lips. 

"I love you," he murmured, before his gaze returned to their kids. 

"I love you too," Castiel hummed, leaning back and resting his head against Dean's chest, watching his children as they came to terms with the wide and magnificent world they had just entered. Slowly, their eyes closed and they fell asleep in their parents safe and warm arms. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eeeee~~! Babies!
> 
> Next chapter might be the last one, we'll learn their names and they'll meet the rest of the Winchester Pack.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Name time...  
> Thank you all for the name suggestions, I hope I did good~!

They sat there, on the gurney, watching their little ones sleeping so peacefully in their arms. Castiel had wrapped his tentacles in small circles, creating a nest to place his beautiful children in. He lay back, head resting on Dean's chest, closing his eyes and letting himself get the rest he so deserved after such an ordeal. Though he didn't want to take his eyes off his little pearls, he knew he needed to rest.

Dean's fingers ran soothingly through his hair, his others resting on his tentacles, right near their little girl and sons. Protecting them together.

This feeling, of being utterly exhausted, yet finally having his beautiful babies in his arms, his mate next to him, this was everything Castiel had ever wanted. Life was perfect right now.

The silence was serene, the sound of the babies sleeping peacefully. They had been given their first meals, healthy bottle of Castiel's milk, and were wrapped up, warm and calm.

The eldest sons' ears were flicking this way and that, and Castiel knew he was listening in on everything around him. He was going to be a curious one, that was for sure. The second son, the middle child, was sleeping so peacefully, mouth open and little breaths escaping his lips. The littlest one, their daughter, was squirming, her eyes tightening.

Without a word, Dean reached up to the overhead lights and dimmed them until the room was a little less bright. He had read that octopus shifter babies were susceptible to bright lights, and their tentacles were very sensitive to touch. But at the same time, they needed all the touch and comfort they could get. It was why Dean had set to create a large pillow fort like bed for the three babies when they were resting.

He hadn't been sure what species they were going to be, and he had refrained himself from the temptation to glance at the envelope Meg had given him all those weeks back, which had the species listed alongside the genders.

But he was glad he had spent the time to create the octopus nest, he had made sure it had the fluffiest of pillows, and the softest of blankets, and a thick, netted curtain above it, to cover the nest completely.

He wasn't sure what they would need to do in regards to their daughter and the pool, after all Sam had created a soft rock pool for his baby, but that was a mermaid thing. He just hoped Castiel knew, or at least they'd get in touch with Chuck, or Bess and Garth to get more answers.

He was eager, and so ready to bring his babies home with him, but he knew they had a few more hours here while the doctors checked the babies and made sure they were perfect.

Castiel pressed his lips to Dean's neck, thanking him for dimming the light, before returning back to just staring at his pearls.

"We gotta think of names," Dean murmured, seeing the little strips of plastic on their babies' wrists, which all just said 'Baby Winchester'. Castiel hummed, tentacles sleepily tightening around the four of them. 

"I like the name John" he murmured through a heavy breath. 

Dean raised his eyebrows. "After my dad?"

Castiel nodded. "Adam took Charles for his next son," he explained, and Dean nodded. 

"And James," Castiel added. His tentacles running soothingly over their eldest child. 

Dean thought about that for a moment. They were strong and powerful names. And though Charles seemed like a good name, maybe it could be a middle name?

"I like them," he said with a smile. "John and James, it is,"

Castiel nodded. "John Charles Winchester," he said slowly, running his tentacles over his eldest child, feeling his ears twitching before resting peacefully as he went back to a deep filled sleep. Castiel ran another tentacle over their youngest son, smiling at how he was so deep in his sleep, unlike his siblings. "James Robert Winchester,"

Dean's heart stuck to his throat. He nodded, unable to do anything else but let his mate name their sons. Paying homage to all three father figures in their lives. His father, Cas's father and Bobby.

Dean's fingers ran soothingly over their daughter, he hadn't stopped touching her ever since she had been given to him.

"Mary?" Castiel asked, but his nose scrunched. He didn't know why, but he didn't think she looked like a Mary. The little babies nose scrunched at that name too, and that was settled.

"Maybe as a middle name," Dean replied, his heart unable to grow any sized bigger at how adorable his little girl looked with a scrunched-up nose. "I liked Emma,"

"Emma Mary Winchester," Castiel said with a bright smile.

Emma's nose relaxed, and she fell back to sleep. She liked the name.

There was definitely a hidden power inside her, and he was so eager to find out what it was. Castiel was going to make sure she never felt the way he did his entire life. He was going to make sure none of his pearls felt sad, or disgusted by themselves, like they felt like freaks.

They were practically perfect.

With the names set, they settled back onto the bed, letting the day take them over. Castiel's eyes closed once again, but he didn’t seem as tired any more, and Dean understood that. There was this adrenaline rush going through them, the need to stay up and just stare at the precious beings in their arms.

The door creaked open and one of the nurses peered in. 

"Mr. Winchester's," she said quietly. The two were alert, and Dean nodded her in. The nurse smiled, taking a step inside. "Your family are anxious to meet the new little ones,"

Dean looked down to his mate, seeing the exhaustion, but the happiness set in his eyes. He wanted his mate to rest, for his babies to rest too, but he was also eager to show his babies off to those he cared for the most.

It was Castiel who spoke first, "Let them in,"

And it was as if a tidal wave had washed over the room. Though, thankfully a silent one. Their parents came in first, John, Mary and Chuck all circled around the five, giving Castiel and Dean a hug, and quietly cooing at the babies.

Castiel handed Mary their eldest, mentioning the names of all three children. They all seemed so happy at the choices. Mary in particular held little baby John in her arms, tears pricking at the corner of her eyes. She pressed her lips to his forehead and murmured soothing and caring words into his skin. John wiggled a little, his ears swiveling this way and that at the new person and the new scent, before falling back to sleep.

"They look just like Dean," John stated, holding little James in his arms and peering at his sleeping face, his mouth was open a little and he was breathing heavily as he slept peacefully in his grandfather's arms.

Chuck held his granddaughter in his arms, seeing the beautiful little thing wiggle a little, her tentacles curling up in the ink soaked blankets. 

"Emma Mary, eh?" He said, looking up to the two parents. He pressed a kiss to his youngest sons' forehead. "That is a great name,"

Slowly, Sam and Gabriel, and little Melody came in, followed by Michael and Adam, with little Matthew. Sam circled the bed and gave his brother a big hug, and then gave one to Castiel, congratulating the two. He reached up for baby John, holding him in his arms, smiling as the baby scented him. 

Gabriel did the same, congratulating the two, giving them a one-armed hug, as Melody was in his arms. She watched them with such reverence, quiet as a mouse as she peered over her daddy's shoulder, looking at the three who were slowly moving around the room, in everyone's arms.

"You did a great job," Michael said, looking down at his nephew, James, with a bright smile. "How are you feeling?"

"A little tired," Castiel answered, hiding back a yawn.

The family spent a little longer with the little ones, gushing at how cute they were. It was only when Matthew started crying for milk, that Adam got up, giving little Mary to Gabriel's awaiting arms, and went straight to feed his child.

"We'll see you at home," Michael said, as he helped his husband and their child.

Castiel nodded, watching as the two left, with their baby. He knew they would be around more often, and he was glad for it. He had always had a bit of an odd relationship with his oldest brother, but he was glad they were strengthening that bridge.

Slowly, the babies were passed on back to Castiel and Dean, and one by one, the others left, saying that they would be back soon. Though Castiel wanted them to stay, he was glad they were leaving. He was just so tired.

He wrapped his tentacles around his pearls, laying his head back on Dean's chest – Dean hadn’t moved from his spot, only to hug his pack and family, but he returned right back. He must have known just how much Cas wanted him by his side.

"I love you," he murmured, feeling those soothing fingers running through his hair once again.

"I love you too," Dean replied, leaning down, pressing a kiss to Castiel's lips, and then one to each of his children's hair. "I love all of you,"

With a sleepy smile gracing his lips, Castiel fell asleep in his mate's arms, his babies safe in his tentacles.

Who knew the awkward, freak octopus shifter would not only marry the most handsome man in his school, but have three beautiful children with him.

Life was perfect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's all she wrote for this one.
> 
> Just to remind everyone, I will be doing the Nanowrimo this year, so all throughout November I will be focusing on that.  
> However! Don't fret, I will be writing either another fic to this series, or a series of one-shots, I'm not so sure yet (knowing me, probably both) so bookmark the series if you're interested to see little John, James and Emma being adorable.
> 
> So, this is where I thank everyone.  
> Iceman12, for being the first, and being great with your comments throughout~! To suckerfordeansfreckles, Angel1399, breebeatz18, Frankie, ImpalaRose, wendellthefierce, snips92 and anyone else I must have most definitely missed! You're all amazing!  
> DestielGivesMeLife, StBridget, and QueenMarie, you've been here since the beginning, and honestly, I am eager to read what you think!  
> Honorary mention to Le-StarLord, because come on.  
> To everyone else who had commented, kudosed or just breezed by.  
> Thank you~!  
> You don't know what it means for me to read your comments or just see you've come through and been amazing. I love you all so much. And I hope to see you soon with the next installment to Tangled.

**Author's Note:**

> Our little Castiel is pregnant!


End file.
